Sirius and Harry, Age 11
by RainCityWriter
Summary: This story is the fourth in a series. It is based on the idea that the Dursleys died when Harry was eight and he was eventually adopted by Severus Snape. Sirius has been rescued and regressed to Harry's age, and they are beginning their first official year at Hogwarts together. Warnings: will contain mild violence, some coarse language, parental spanking (cp) of minors.
1. Chapter 1 - And So It Begins

_AN: This is the fourth story in a series, preceded by Harry potter age 8, 9 and 10. This story can be read on its own, however things would make more sense if you had read the previous stories. Those stories start on the premise of Harry's guardians the Dursleys dying when Harry was eight, and he was placed in the care of Severus Snape. Snape started as a cruel and indifferent caregiver but evolved into a loving father, and actually adopted Harry at the end of Harry Potter age 9. In Harry Potter Age 10 Sirius Black chose to have himself regressed in age to age 10 again permanently, and so he is now a contemporary of Harry Potter with only a vague recollection of life as an adult before that. He is being cared for by Remus Lupin, who has also become a good friend of Snape's. For the past two years Harry (and several other major players) have participated in a pre-Hogwarts class at Hogwarts taught by Lupin._

 _This story takes place where the other one left off - right after Harry is sorted into Gryffindor. This story will be told from Sirius' perspective for the most part, though there will be a few chapters where Harry is star. Part of this story will be the exploring the ramifications of Snape's care of Harry had on the original plot (for instance, Peter Pettigrew is dead), and how Sirius will develop given a second chance at a childhood._

 _I will probably not update this story quite as quickly as others in the past (my family has registered complaints), but I can't see going more than two days without updating._

 _ **Trigger warnings:**_ _There will be some violence, talk of abuse, some coarse language, and parental spanking (corporal punishment) of pre-teens. I will not give chapter warnings of this, if this is not your cup of tea please read one of the other fics on this site that doesn't contain it. If you feel the need to abuse me because of it, please know that your comments will be deleted without heed._

 _Also, I do not own these characters and am forever indebted to JK Rowling for creating such a beautiful and detailed world that we're allowed to play in. I will not give chapter acknowledgement of this either, just assume that every chapter I will have characters that I don't own._

* * *

Sirius sat at the Gryffindor table for the first time, and had the surreal experience of doing it twice for the first time. Ever since he had been made ten years old again several months ago, he had tried to proceed with his life like he was ten while ignoring the vague, shadowy memories of what it was like to be an adult. He had been sorted once before, sat at this table for the first time once before, and had attended once before. Scanning the table with his fellow Gryffindors, he even speculated - how would it be different than last time? Harry and Ron weren't Moony and Prongs, that's for sure. He would have to see how this was going to work.

"I'm happy we're in Gryffindor together," Harry told him, his green eyes bright with excitement.

"Your Dad didn't look so pleased," Sirius smirked. "He looked ready to bloody shred that hat."

Harry shrugged noncommittally. "I'm sure he'd rather have me in Ravenclaw or Slytherin," he answered. "But last night he told me it didn't matter which one I went into."

"I still can't believe that you like having that bat as a father," Sirius admitted. "He's so strict and mean! At least Lupin is decent to me."

"Snape's decent too," Harry argued, but with mirth in his eyes. "But I see why you think he's strict. He is strict - but he also is fair most of the time and he really cares about me. And I don't think Lupin lets you off as much as you make out. I had him for a teacher for two years, I don't think he's easy."

"But I'm his old friend!" Sirius smirked. "Not really his son!"

"Hmmph," Harry answered, unbelieving. "I've seen him scold you. I think you need to accept the fact that his is your guardian now."

"Hmmph," Sirius replied, snarky.

"He's spanked you a few times too, hasn't he?" Harry asked appraisingly. "Your friend might scold you, but I doubt you ever had a friend spank you before."

Sirius blushed and looked away, not wanting to have this conversation with Harry. It was all well and good for Harry to have this attached thing with Snape, he decided. Harry needed a father, and if he liked Snape then whatever. But to imply that he needed it! Hmmph.

"So are you going to be sleeping in the tower with us then?" Fred asked Harry and Sirius. "You guys don't have to keep bunking with the old guys?"

"As long as we're good we can be up there," Harry answered with a smirk. "But I have a feeling I know what a possible consequence is going to be."

"Maybe if we pretend like we want to see them on the weekends they won't punish us that way," Sirius laughed, cheeky.

"I actually think it's great that we get to see them on weekends," Harry admitted. "I think it will be hard to live only in the tower. I'll miss him. But he says I can go have tea with him any time I want to."

"Come on!" Sirius rolled his eyes. "This is not bloody Kindergarten! Everyone else will only see their families on holidays."

"Well, they had a lot more years with their families before Hogwarts," Harry reasoned. "Besides, not everyone has a dad as cool as mine."

"You do know the git is hated," George told him, smirking. "Nobody would believe you that you even like your dad, let alone that he's cool."

"Bat of the dungeons," Fred agreed. "But we've decided to grant you temporary insanity."

"Of course it doesn't seem temporary . . ."

"Lay off it!" Harry glared at the twins, warning them. "Belt up about my Dad."

"Now, now, we know that ol' Snape's been great to you," Ron confirmed. "Despite how grouchy he is to everyone else. None of us argue that."

"Good," Harry growled.

"But you are a Gryffindor now," Sirius told him. "And Gryffindor has an old rivalry with Slytherin, and your Dad is the head of Slytherin. I'm just saying it will be awkward to have Harry running down to his quarters every other day."

"You have your guardian your way and I will my way," Harry snapped back at him, his green eyes blazing. "I'm glad to have such a smart and tough Dad, nobody messes with him. If you want to try him, go ahead."

"Nobody is stupid enough for that," George smirked again, this time picking up a chicken leg and tucking into it. "We're all Gryffindors here, now. Sirius, you seriously need to get a grip."

"And seriously need to watch your trap," Harry agreed, smirking.

"And seriously need to eat your dinner," Ron added, smirking.

"Very funny," Sirius glared at them, but his mouth was twitching. "And I've seriously never heard that joke before."

Harry's mouth twitched as well. "Well, Sirius, you may think that you don't need a Dad, but I think that your guardian doesn't agree with you."

Sirius looked up to see Lupin sitting with the other teachers, and glaring at him. He flinched involuntarily, he had been learning to respect his guardian against his better judgement. True, Lupin had once been one of his best friends. But Harry was right, though you might yell at your best friend you would never spank them. Or ground them. Or make them do extra chores and go to bed early. Sirius sighed, having an involved guardian had turned out to be harder than he thought it would be.

"Cheer up," Harry told him, watching his face closely. "At least you know he's better than you had the first time around."

"I had more freedom the first time around," Sirius shot back.

Harry, smirking in spite of himself, turned back to his dinner. "I know," he answered quietly.

Dumbledore welcomed the new students with his opening speech, and warnings about staying off of the third floor corridor. Hmm, Sirius thought. Gonna have to check that out.

Sirius looked over his new teachers, surprised that more hadn't changed. Professor Quirrell was new, but he thought that might be the only teacher he hadn't had before.

"Do you know anything about that Quirrell fellow?" Harry asked him quietly.

"Remus said that he's been travelling and has just gotten back," Sirius answered. "I guess that explains the turban. He's the defense against the dark arts teacher."

"He doesn't look too bad," Ron appraised. "He looks absolutely terrified of Snape, though."

"He looks like a stiff wind would knock him over, let alone some dark wizard or creature," Sirius scoffed. "I wouldn't think we would learn much from him."

"We probably already know more from our private lessons," Harry conceded. "But our Dads still want us in class."

"He's not my Dad, Harry," Sirius said darkly. "I've already had one of those, I'm not eager for another."

It was Harry's turn to roll his eyes. "The sooner you make peace with it the easier it will be," he said enigmatically. "But I guess some people have to learn for themselves."

They ate their dinner then, and Sirius watched Harry carefully. He kept looking at Quirrel with a puzzled look on his face, as if he was trying to work something out. Sirius decided he would ask Harry later, when there weren't so many scoffing ears around.

...

That night, Sirius was tucked into a room with the Gryffindor newbies - Ron, Harry, Neville, Seamus and Dean. He had been in this same room many years ago, this was the room when he had first began his friendship with what had become the marauders. This room felt more like home than any other place in the world to him.

"So are we all going to be mates?" Neville asked nervously. "I mean, we're all going to be in school together for the next seven years."

"We're Gryffindors," Sirius shrugged. "Last time I was here we became best friends. We called ourselves the Marauders."

"Can you buy us firewhiskey?" Seamus asked. "I mean, you being a legal adult and all."

"No dice," Sirius answered. "I'm legally a child."

"Do you remember the spell to make whiskey?" Seamus giggled. "That would be just as good."

"It's hard to make," Sirius answered, trying to remember. "I don't know if I remember or not. But I think most people think it's easier to buy it."

"Weren't the Marauders known for their pranks?" Harry asked him. "We need to do some epic pranks."

"Fred and George are quite good at it," Ron piped in. "I'm sure they'd love to help."

"Won't we get in trouble?" Neville asked nervously. "My Gran said that . . ."

"You Gran doesn't know shite," Sirius retorted sharply. "What's a little trouble? The worst they'll do is detention."

"I've heard in detention that Snape will cut off bits of you for potion ingredients and then, you know, magic you so it grows back," Ron told them. "It's how he saves money on ingredients."

"If that were true I'd have had most of my parts cut off!" Harry declared. "Seriously, Ron, you need to stop listening to the twins. They like nothing better than to wind you up."

"So what does he do for detention, then, smart arse?" Ron asked.

"Slughorn, the potions master before Snape, once made me gut flobberworms," Sirius remembered, smiling. "But most professors have you either do lines of some sort or cleaning." The flobberworms were for dropping something in someone else's cauldron and causing an explosion, he remembered vaguely.

"Hermione said that we have Potions, Transfiguration and flying lessons tomorrow," Harry told them. "I can't wait. After all these years of learning other things, we finally get to learn the fun stuff."

"Why do we have to take flying lessons?" Sirius scoffed. "Harry could practically teach it."

"Well, not everyone might know how as well," Neville said with chagrin. "I mean, we learned it in the preschool class, but I'm nowhere near as good as Harry."

"I'm not sure there's many seventh years as good as Harry," Ron laughed. "At least we'll get a chance to fly. Not all the first years went to the preschool class, so some people won't know how to do it."

"Settle down in here," they heard Percy order them. "You want to be awake for your classes tomorrow."

"I can't believe Percy's a prefect," Ron groaned. "He's going to be insufferable."

"Maybe you'll get off a bit," Sirius suggested.

"Na, I'll get it worse," Ron answered. "Percy is more likely to tell my mum, and I'd rather a detention than a spoon."

"I think Sirius and I are going to catch it too," Harry sighed, whispering so Percy wouldn't hear. "The disadvantage to having our fathers work here."

"He's not my bloody father!" Sirius snapped irritably. "I swear, Harry . . ."

"Now," Percy snapped. "Or I'll call McGonagall."

The boys settled down, curling into their soft beds and trying to calm down their excitement. Each of them had a mix of excitement, anxiety, and homesickness. All except Sirius, he felt like this was his home.

SIrius drifted off to sleep, thinking of his lessons the next day and quidditch practices, and it felt like everything was right with the world.

Then, in the wee hours of the morning, Sirius woke up from a nightmare, cold sweat covering his body and his heart pounding in terror. He took several breaths before he could calm himself down, trying to tell himself that it was just a dream. But he knew better, he had a sense that it wasn't just a dream. What the hell was Bella doing in his dream?


	2. Chapter 2 - Subterfuge

_AN: It's good to be back! Thanks for all the great reviews, you guys are the best. Fun to see new faces too. :) In this story I am writing mainly from Sirius' point of view, but there will be a significant presence of Harry in it too (ie: this chapter). I just feel that Harry's story was mostly done, at least in relation to Snape, and that there's far more angst to resolve with Sirius. But Harry also provides a good contrast for Sirius as well, I see them as radically different boys. Enjoy!_

Sirius found it difficult to concentrate in class the next day because he was just thinking about the dream that he had had. He had been having a normal dream - something about him flying his broomstick over the ocean trying to catch some sort of flying fish - and suddenly Bella was there, flying beside him. She had looked just as he remembered her - a reckless, half-crazy witch with a thick mane of wild black curls and a cruel laugh. And she had laughed at him.

"Cousin Sirius, you are looking very young," she purred to him in her sinister voice. "I understand you are back at Hogwarts."

"Leave me alone, Bella," told her harshly. "You know that I want nothing to do with the family any more."

"We're all that's left now, Sirius," she quipped, smiling widely. "Let your dear cousin Bellatrix guide you. We have plans for you, we do."

"Who's we?" he asked her.

"Who do you think?" she smirked at him. "We have great plans for you Sirius. I never believed that you would really turn your back on us."

"You crazy witch!" Sirius yelled at her. "I hate you! I would never do anything for you!"

"Do you think you're one of them?" she sneered. "You're playing at being one of them Sirius. I know you, I know your blood. You will betray them, you may as well do it to your advantage."

"I would rather die than betray them," he told her, his teeth grit in anger. "Now go away before I kill you."

"Big words for a little man," she sneered. "You are not good, Sirius, no matter how hard you try. You cost Lily and James their lives, and you know it. You can't get away from the guilt just by becoming Harry's best friend."

Sirius, enraged at that point, swung his broom to crash into her. And that's when he woke, sweating and screaming.

"A Bezoar, Mr. Black," he heard Professor Snape's voice silkily ask him, bringing him out of reliving the dream and back into reality. "The class is waiting for you to enlighten us."

"It's useful for poison," he answered, wracking his brain.

"Indeed," Snape drawled. "However, that is not the question asked. Five points from Gryffindor for daydreaming. Miss Granger, please enlighten the class."

"The stomach of a goat," she answered triumphantly.

Sirius saw that Snape barely controlled rolling his eyes at her, but nodded and then went on with the lecture. He grimaced at how Snape seemed to be picking on the Gryffindors, though he had been told it was to maintain his cover and relationship with the Slytherins. Even though they knew that he had adopted their enemy, that could still be spun as an attempt to convert the enemy. Being kind to Gryffindors in general, however, was apparently another story. Even though Sirius had been warned that this was how it was going to be, it was still a hard adjustment to make. It's not that the greasy Git had become his friend or anything, but they had sort of . . . declared a truce. And he had even begun to think of him as something of an Uncle over the summer, at least when he wasn't correcting him and Harry or forcing them to keep the house tidy because his girlfriend was coming over. Whatever.

Harry had actually had more of a problem in class than Sirius had realized. It was very hard for him to see his father, whom he knew to be fair and even-handed to roll his eyes and openly mock the Gryffindors. His father had carefully avoided doing it to him, but Harry still felt the cruelty. He was beginning to understand why the older Gryffindors couldn't believe that he liked being adopted by him.

Professor Snape had told his son that he was allowed to come to his quarters any day at four for tea, and it did not surprise him when Harry showed up on the first day. He had thought the first potions class would send him up here if nothing else would.

"How was your day?" he asked Harry in his normal tone.

"Surprising," Harry answered, accepting a cup of tea.

"I would imagine that it would be," Snape answered, sipping his own tea. "Why don't you tell me about it."

"I had no idea that you would hate Gryffindors so much," Harry told him bluntly, reaching for a biscuit.

"I don't really hate them," Snape answered, frowning at the slightest bit of defensiveness in his voice. "We discussed this, remember?"

"I remember," Harry told him, looking down. "But I didn't realize how it would feel in real life. If I had known I would have tried to convince the hat to put me somewhere else."

"The hat sorts how it wants to," Snape shrugged. Then, studying Harry's face, he said softly, "I knew you were going to be sorted into Gryffindor, Harry."

"How did you know?" he asked, incredulous.

Snape arched an eyebrow. "Really? After all the foolhardy things you've done?"

"I'll bet you're disappointed I'm a Gryffindor," he said, looking down.

"I of course would have loved you in Slytherin," he admitted. "But I also want you happy, Harry, and in the house you're supposed to be in. Gryffindor just makes our fiction a bit more interesting, that's all."

"I do like it there," Harry admitted. "And Ron, Hermione and Sirius are all there too. Even Neville."

"That one was a shock," Snape nodded. "I had him in Hufflepuff for sure."

"Draco is the only one I'm sad about," Harry admitted. "But we all knew he would be in Slytherin, so it's no shock."

Snape nodded, it had been no surprise.

"In class I felt like you hated me," Harry confessed honestly, putting down his tea and not making eye contact. "That was really hard for me."

"Hard enough to require a hug?" Snape asked, his lips pressing together in consideration.

"Yes," Harry said, and Snape found his tea nearly knocked out of his hand as Harry practically dove on him to get a hug.

"No need to knock all of my air out," Snape told him in a grouchy tone, but wrapped his arms around the boy. "You know you get a hug any time you want it."

"Any time?" Harry asked, his eyes shining.

"Of course, foolish child," Snape chided gently. "When have I ever told you no?"

"What if I asked you in the middle of a potions class?" Harry asked, cheeky.

Snape arched an eyebrow. "Perhaps I would wait until after class to give it to you," he said, his voice silky. "Or perhaps I would give it to you in front of all your friends if you preferred."

"I'm not sure who would be more embarrassed," Harry chuckled, feeling much better about his Dad being his professor.

"I know this will be hard for you," Snape told his son softly. "That's why I warned you about it. But I want you to remember that this is subterfuge, and what we say here is real."

"So if I'm cheeky and force you to give me detention in class I'm just helping with your subterfuge?" he asked with a mischievous smile.

"Of course," Snape answered, his eyes twinkling. "And of course we would have to do a real detention as well, to keep up appearances if nothing else."

"Perhaps I should complain to Fiona about how cruel you are to me in class," Harry told him, his mischievous smile twinkling now. "I'll bet she'll set you straight."

"You little imp!" he told his son, barely able to keep from smiling himself. "If you do, I will tell her about who really was responsible for her face cream turning her face purple this summer."

"She already knows it was either me or Sirius!" Harry protested.

"Yes, and now she will be sure."

"How did you know?" Harry asked curiously. "I was very careful."

"Not careful enough," Snape replied. "You really ought to clean your own cauldrons, and brewing in our own lab at home means that the portrait sees you."

Rolling his eyes, Harry acknowledged defeat. "Fine, you win," he replied with as much grace as he could muster. "But I really wanted to talk to you about something important as well."

"What was that?"

"I'm worried about Sirius," Harry admitted. "He's been having . . . dreams. I think his problem in potions today was because he hadn't slept well."

"I will inform Remus," Snape nodded. "Thank you for telling me."

"And there's one more thing . . ." Harry said hesitatingly.

"What is it?" Snape looked at the boy, carefully examining his body language. This was something he was less sure about.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Harry told him, looking away. "I feel foolish even telling you."

"I would like to know your most foolish concerns," he assured the boy. "Something is bothering you, you should trust your instincts that it is more than it appears."

"Well, it's about that professor, I think his name is Quirrel," Harry admitted. "You know, the one that wears the turban."

"Yes, I know him," Snape replied neutrally.

"What do you know about him?" Harry asked.

"He's a young professor, about my age," Snape told him. "He was in Ravenclaw, so I can't remember his year. He used to teach muggle studies, he was raised by a muggle mother but I believe he had a wizard father. Anyway, he took a year off last year for a grand tour of some sort, and he's teaching defense this year. The turban was due to some religious experience he had while on his trip, I've heard."

"There's something about him that makes me feel uncomfortable," Harry confessed. "And during dinner last night, well, my scar hurt when I was looking at him."

"You were looking at his eyes?"

"No," Harry admitted. "He was looking away. But my scar hurt, and it's never done that before."

"Let me see your scar," Snape told him, lifting his wand for a diagnostic. After the diagnostic, Snape still felt unsatisfied with the results. Why would a scar, even a magically induced one, hurt like that? And for the first time in ten years?

"It's never hurt before?" he confirmed, examining it with his fingers this time.

"Never," Harry told him.

"I feel a trace of dark magic around the scar," Snape told him. "But I'm not sure that isn't just because of the event that caused the scar. We should have Dumbledore have a look at it."

"I feel like a baby," Harry admitted. "It didn't hurt that badly, it was just . . . strange."

"I will talk to the headmaster and we will see him tonight after dinner," Snape promised. "Thank you for telling me."

"It still does feel strange, this telling you thing," Harry admitted. "I have to remind myself that you actually want to know."

"Of course I do."

"Well, you remember when I fell off my broom and hurt myself and didn't tell you?" Harry asked him.

"You had a severe puncture on your backside and broken ribs," Snape remembered. "And you didn't tell me until Molly Weasley accused me of beating you."

"Well, that was normal for me," Harry told him.

"I see," Snape replied seriously. "I appreciate your believing me, then."

"You'd smack my backside if I didn't," Harry replied, cheeky again.

"Of course," Snape agreed smoothly. "I believe I promised you the ruler if you ever again hurt yourself and didn't tell me."

"So really I'm not a baby telling you, just avoiding the ruler."

"I'm sure you'll get it at some point anyway," Snape replied dryly. "The year has just begun."


	3. Chapter 3 - Abdicating

During dinner, Sirius patently ignored Lupin. He could feel the man's eyes on him, and he studiously continued his conversation with Harry and Seamus. They were talking about the possibility of making firewhiskey, and Ron had said that the twins said it was possible. Hermione, rolling her eyes but valuing their friendship too much to ignore them completely, told them that those spells would most likely be in the restricted section of the library.

"He's ignoring me, Severus," Remus grimly told his friend as he took a bite of mushy peas. "He's been so angry at me lately."

"Any particular reason?" Snape asked. He had gotten used to discussing parenting issues with Remus, though it still felt strange that the man would consider him an expert.

"I think he's just mad I'm his guardian," Remus admitted. "Any time I try to limit him or give him a consequence he's livid about it. He argues like nobody else I've ever seen, he'll argue even if it's to his benefit to do what I ask. He's starting to say that he wished he didn't have a guardian."

"You cannot put up with open rebellion," Snape told him firmly.

"I know," Remus replied. "But I also don't want to just be punishing him all the time."

"If he doesn't fear punishment than you aren't doing it hard enough," Snape told him, eyeing the boy who had once been his arch enemy. "He seemed mostly fine over the summer at our house."

"It's been since we've come back here," Remus explained. "You know I came a few weeks early to get my classroom sorted and to get Sirius settled. I thought it would be good to have that time with him. But instead he's just been impossible! In some ways I'm glad for him to go up to the tower, I'm looking forward to the peace."

"You can't abdicate your authority like that," Snape protested. "If Harry was acting in that manner he wouldn't be allowed to live in the tower until he could behave himself."

"Harry is a different child," Remus protested. "I feel with Sirius that I'm, well, I don't know. I feel like I'm paying for someone else's sins."

"Whose sins?"

"His parents," Remus said darkly. "They were horrible to him, and this is the child they created! He doesn't trust anybody, and he's rude and cheeky all the time, and he has no respect for authority. What made him a fun friend when I was eleven is making him a very difficult ward!"

"You are paying for someone else's sins," Snape acknowledged. "And they have done you no favors. And if Sirius is allowed to continue as before, then the mistakes of his life will be repeated. He needs to respect you; it's even more important than him loving you at this point."

"How do I do that?" Remus asks.

"I think you know my answer," Snape answered, his eyebrow arched.

"Spanking doesn't solve everything!" Remus answered, exasperated.

"Of course it doesn't," Snape agreed. "And a beating would only make it worse. But there is something about the position, the childishness of it, that underlines the child's vulnerability and your authority. Other methods of discipline can work too, and can even be superior for more sensitive children. But I have a feeling with your charge . . ."

"You're probably right," Remus answered, watching his ward unconsciously raise his shoulder towards him.

"I wouldn't leave it too long, either," Snape advised. "It only encourages it. He looks like he's spoiling for a fight."

"It just makes me so tired," Remus sighed, turning his attention back to his dinner. "I thought being his guardian would be mostly about enjoying our time together, making sure he has what he needs and occasional guidance. I'd seen you with Harry, it didn't look too hard."

"You didn't see the first several months," Snape admitted, looking down. "You have done a far better job starting out than I did."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Did you leave your ward with a deranged house elf that starved him and beat him?" Snape asked sardonically. "Did you punish him without listening to reason because he resembled your childhood nemesis and you were still angry at his father? Did you automatically assume that he was a liar and a lay-about?"

"I suppose not," Remus replied, smirking a little. "If this is your idea of a pep talk, Severus, I have to be honest that I do feel better. It gives me some hope."

"Good," Snape replied, unconsciously glancing at his son. That boy sitting there, mischievous look on his face and messy hair sticking up haphazardly, meant more to him than his own life. He hoped it would become the same for Sirius and Remus.

…

Sirius caught the note that the owl dropped easily, and read it with a sneer:

 _Please come to our quarters directly after dinner. R.L._

There was no way that he was going to do that. He was just going to get another lecture about how he was rude and disobedient, and he was really frustrated with the lectures. He had thought having Remus as a guardian would be really fun, kind of like a continuation of old times. But Remus had insisting on thinking he was his father, and had even really overstepped that idea. Instead of having fun, flying together, and even coming up with pranks Remus made him eat vegetables and go to bed early. It became even worse when they got to Hogwarts for the beginning of the school year - Remus had been working and not paying too much attention to Sirius, and then when he did it was just to order him around! Now that he was in the tower, he was going to ignore the fact that Remus was his guardian and he was going to just go about his business like every other kid and school - and maybe catch up with his guardian at Christmas. And it was time that Remus learned that he did what he wanted.

Sirius decided to take a different route back to the tower just in case Lupin was waiting for him. Lupin would soon learn not to tangle with him. He waited for his classmates to head up to the common room to study, and then he slipped down the other hallway, keeping an eye out for Lupin. He had almost made it to the Gryffindor common room, and was just in sight of his friends when suddenly an iron-like hand clamped on his shoulder.

"Let go!" he growled, turning to meet the angry eyes of his guardian.

"I believe my note was sufficiently clear," Lupin told him angrily. "Apparently you needed a personal escort."

"I want to go to the tower!" Sirius protested, trying to wiggle out of Lupin's grip.

"You will come with me now or I will have the house elves move your things to my quarters permanently," Lupin growled at him.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist," Sirius sneered.

Remus quickly took hold of Sirius' arm, turned him slightly, and landed a hard swat on the miscreant's bottom.

"Ow!" Sirius protested, then looked up in embarrassment. He met Harry's eyes, and saw sympathy in them, but also a sense of resignation. He knew Harry felt that he deserved it.

"Unless you'd like me to continue with your spanking here and now you will come with me with no further protest or disrespect," Remus told him, his voice low and dangerous. Sirius could almost hear the growl of the wolf in that voice, and he responded. This wasn't the kind and affable schoolmate of his, this was the wolf.

Silently, Sirius nodded and followed Remus to their chambers. Remus breathed deeply on the way, attempting to control his temper, and by the time he was back to their chambers he was breathing normally again.

Sirius silently followed him in, and Remus closed and locked the door. "We need to have a talk," he told Sirius calmly.

"About what?" Sirius replied, his tone a touch cheeky but careful. He watched Remus' face closely, trying to gauge what Remus had planned.

"About our relationship," Remus told him, sitting on the couch and motioning for Sirius to do the same. "I feel that we have not been communicating properly."

"We communicate just fine," Sirius snapped. "And I would thank you to leave me alone until Christmas."

"That is not how this works," Remus replied, firm but calm. "From now on you need to check in with me once a day. Would you like to do it before dinner or after?"

"Every day?" SIrius repeated, incredulous. "That's crazy!"

"You have a lot to adjust to," Remus told him kindly. "You are still adjusting to your age, and the idea that I'm your guardian. And Harry says you're not sleeping well."

"And you think meeting with you will help?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Of course," Remus answered.

"Listen, I think we need to make something clear," Sirius told him, crossing his arms and glaring at his former friend. "You are acting like you're my father or something. This has to stop."

"I'm glad to see that you find me acting like a good father," Remus smirked.

"But you're not my father!" Sirius protested.

"I know," Remus answered comfortably. "But that is the idea of a guardian. I act in the place of a parent."

"I don't need a parent," Sirius stubbornly insisted.

"You do," Remus answered in a tone that brooked no opposition. He then sighed, looking at Sirius with sad eyes. "This is the choice you made, Padfoot," he told him. "Your adult self couldn't live with the pain, so he chose to become a child again. But you are eleven, my friend, and you need a parent."

"There's a lot more going on than just that!" Sirius yelled at his guardian. "You have no idea!"

"Then tell me," Remus answered. "I am here to listen to you."

"I am not saying anything while you sit there like some stupid arse pretending to be playing house with me . . ."

"Corner!" Remus told him firmly.

"What?"

"Go to the corner now," Remus told him. "You can stay there until you can speak to me in a civil manner."

"If you think I'm going to . . ." he began yelling. Suddenly, he found himself muffled in sound, he could yell but not make any noise. Then, he felt his body levitated to the corner, and placed with his face towards the corner. He yelled and complained, unheard, but couldn't move out of the corner. That bastard had him in a body-bind.

Remus let him stand there in the corner, fuming, and wished he knew what to do. When Sirius started ranting Remus could barely listen to him, he felt like he was eleven years old himself and being yelled at by his own father. He had to figure out ways to parent Sirius that didn't involve letting the child yell at him.

Remus sat down to work on lesson plans, glancing at Sirius every few minutes. Finally, his color looked less red and he looked less like he was going to continue yelling. In fact, Remus thought he almost looked apologetic. With a wave of the wand, the silencing and body bind were cancelled.

"Do you have something to say to me?" he asked quietly.

"I'm sorry for yelling," Sirius answered, looking down.

"Anything else?" he pressed.

"No," Sirius answered, looking sullen.

"You may go now," Remus sighed. "But I expect you here just after dinner tomorrow night by seven pm. Failure to appear will result in my dragging you from the Gryffindor Common room in what I promise will be a very embarrassing display."

"More so than you've already done?" Sirius spat.

"Much more so," he replied levelly. "Now leave before I decide you need me to finish that spanking."

Remus watched the boy stomp away, shaking his head in dismay. He had hoped for an emotional, connected conversation that left Sirius feeling remorseful and loving towards his guardian. Instead, he looked ready to rebel and only muttering the barest of apologies in order to get out of the corner. He didn't even tell him about the nightmares that Harry had said that he'd been having. Remus sighed, and decided to pull out those books that Snape had given him over the summer - perhaps the experts could help. This was certainly going to be a lot harder than he had thought it would be.

Sirius left, glowering the whole way up to the tower. When he got in the common room, he looked at Harry, Ron and the twins and asked, "Who's up for exploring the third floor corridor with me?"


	4. Chapter 4 - Sneaking Out

The three miscreants made their way to the third floor, each walking as quietly as possible and keeping their eyes out for Filch and Mrs. Norris. Harry tried to force down the feeling of dread in his stomach, he knew exactly what his father would do if he found him roaming the halls after curfew. But he had seen the look in Sirius' eye, he was going with or without the others. And Harry just couldn't let him do it alone - so he agreed to go. Ron had gulped and agreed as well, and so the three of them snuck out past the portrait of the fat lady and made their way to the third floor corridor.

"What do you think is here?" Ron whispered to Harry as they approached the corridor.

"Dunno," Harry whispered back. "Why are we here again? I mean, besides giving me the opportunity to get my arse smacked."

"Dumbledore said not to come here," Sirius whispered to them. "That means there's something good here. That's why we're here."

"I don't think that's actually good logic," Ron whispered back. "I mean, what if there really is something dangerous . . ."

When they got to the locked door, Sirius pulled his wand and whispered, "Alohomora" and unlocked it. Ron gulped again, saying, "You know, mate, often doors are locked for a reason . . ."

"Shh," Sirius told him, carefully opening the door.

Sirius looked in the room, seeing only black. "Lumos," he heard Harry cast behind him, putting his wand forward. They still couldn't see very far in, so Sirius stepped in the room. Hot, moist air puffed against his face, and suddenly Harry's wand glowed bright enough for them to see into the room properly. Nestled in the corner of the room was a gigantic dog, and Sirius paled and froze when he realized the thing had three heads. What was that doing in a school?

One of the heads grunted a bit, turned, and then lazily opened its eye. He snuffled, scenting the young intruders, and then a low growl began to emanate from his belly. As its eyes locked on Sirius, the other heads began to stir as well.

"Out," Harry breathed, backing away carefully. "We need to get out."

Suddenly the dog lunged forward, hot breath encompassing them and gobs of spittle flying. Ron screeched in his speed to exit, and Sirius jumped back, tearing his robe out of the dog's teeth. Fabric tore as they dove out of the room, and then all three of them turned around and crashed against the door, attempting to close it as the dog strained against its chain and tried to push the door open with its nose. They could all hear the chain straining the wood into which it was bolted, and Harry shouted, "The chain won't hold!"

"Close it!" Sirius ordered the other two, though they were already giving it all of their strength.

"We can't!" Harry panted, pushing with all of his strength. "I should call my Dad."

"Don't do that!" Sirius protested. "We'll be caught."

"Better than that thing being let loose on Hogwarts!" Harry protested, reaching for his necklace that held a panic button that would summon the Potions Master. The silvery thread that resembled a Patronus charm swiftly left the necklace in the direction of the dungeons.

Suddenly, another body appeared behind them, pushing against the door and causing the audible click! that they were all so desperate to hear. The three boys slumped against the door, trying to catch their breath, and Sirius felt an iron-like hand against his shoulder.

"What have we here?" the boys heard Lupin ask. Though he did not have the menace and tenor that Professor Snape employed, each boy automatically cringed at his voice.

"Just out for a walk, Moony," Sirius added, cheeky.

"Harry!" he heard his father call, engulfing the child in his robes and looking around for the danger.

"We got the door closed," Harry explained rapidly, seeing his father's panic. "I didn't think we were going to, and that dog thing looked ready to break his chain free. I'm sorry to bother you, sir."

"No bother," Snape told him, letting him go reluctantly and getting his breathing under control. "I'm glad you called if you saw danger. Although what you three are doing here begs another question."

Harry squirmed uncomfortably, not meeting his father's gaze.

"We wanted to see what Dumbledore warned us about," Sirius answered, cocky. "What the hell is that bloody beast doing in a school?"

Snape fixed the boy with his harshest glare, and the boy actually had the decency to wince a bit and look away. Remus watched Sirius' impertinence with embarrassment, had Sirius no sense of self-preservation?

"Do either of the other two of you have anything to say for yourselves?" he asked icily, glaring at Ron and Harry.

"No sir," they both mumbled, looking down.

"I will deal with Potter and Weasley," Snape told his friend smoothly. "I believe that they will both get detentions with me for the next three nights as well as a note home to their parents. Would you like the same for your charge?"

"Yes," Remus agreed, but paled when he realized the note home was for him. "Though I don't need a note. I will be taking Sirius to my quarters tonight."

"I will take Mr. Weasley to Professor McGonagall then," Snape agreed. "Mr. Potter will come to my quarters as well."

Harry gulped, figuring that cemented the fact that he was getting spanked for his misbehavior, but nodded. He had known this would be the cost.

"It is not fair that Harry and I have to go to your quarters and Ron goes back to the tower!" Sirius protested.

"Ron will feel his parents displeasure, I am sure," Snape answered him coldly. "For a boy in your position you are remarkably unrepentant. If I were you I would worry more about yourself than Ron, as you were the obvious instigator of this prank."

Sirius glanced at Remus in consternation, and realized that what Snape was saying was true. He flushed in anger and embarrassment. "What would you know, Snivellus?" he sneered.

Quick as a flash Snape's wand was drawn, and Sirius found himself upside down hanging in the air. He drew his own wand on instinct, and Snape knocked it out of his hand as someone might swat a gnat.

"A bit more than you, Sirius Black," Snape snarled, barely able to keep his anger in check. "Do you recognize this position? It's one you had me in a time or two as children."

"But . . ." Sirius protested, and found himself hit with a silencing charm.

"Listen well, Black," Snape repeated, his voice ice. "I will use small words so you can understand. I am not the pathetic, friendless child you bullied in school. _You_ are in fact a child, and far more defenseless than I. It is because of that fact that I have not challenged you to a duel. But hear me well; if you use that word to me again, your backside will feel my hand and I do not care if Dumbledore sacks me for it."

"He won't sack you," Remus interfered, coughing slightly. "As his guardian I give you permission to spank him if he uses that word to you again."

Snape nodded a thanks to his friend, feeling his temper reign in at his friend's support. He took a deep breath, he still had to deal with Harry this night and did not want to lose his temper on Sirius.

"I will trust you to discipline him appropriately," Snape told Remus, his voice calmer. "So Black, unless you want your childhood victim to have you over his knee, I suggest you keep a reign on your tongue."

Snape cancelled the silencing charm, and lowered the miscreant back out of the air, landing him on the floor harder than was strictly necessary. Beckoning Harry and Ron to follow, Snape swept out of the hallway and out of sight.

Sirius watched them leave, feeling anger but also a twinge of fear. How had his nemesis gotten so good at intimidating?

"How could you give him permission?" he spat at Remus.

"Because you deserve it," Remus answered, his arms crossed. "How could you do this, Sirius? And get Harry and Ron to come with you?"

"Harmless fun!" he scoffed.

"Harmless?" Remus gasped. "Harmless? What would have happened if I hadn't come along at that moment? That dog looked ready to break free."

"Why did you happen along?" Sirius asked, suspicious.

"I saw your face when Dumbledore announced the restriction at dinner," Lupin told him calmly. "I know you, Padfoot."

"They came along willingly!" Sirius protested, feeling guilt prick his stomach.

Lupin glared at him, unconvinced. "They would not have been out here if it wasn't for you," he growled at him. "We both know it. And now they're both likely getting spanked, and if you think three detentions with Snape is a walk in the park you are about to be disabused of that notion."

"Will Snape spank Harry?" Sirius asked seriously, looking in the direction they left.

"Undoubtedly," Remus told him, wincing on the boy's behalf. "Snape means business, and he would not put up with this kind of disobedience. Harry did call him for help, which will help his case, but I just don't see him not going over Snape's knee for this. And deservedly so, Harry could have been hurt. Look at your own robes, how easily could that have been your flesh?"

Sirius then looked down, seeing his torn robes covered with dog drool and muck. His stomach wrenched, knowing what was coming next from his guardian, but hardly believing it. It was like Harry said, having his friend give him consequences certainly did make it real that he was not his friend any more.

"Are you going to do that to me?" he asked, trying to keep his voice level and business-like. He couldn't stand the idea of Remus knowing he feared it.

"Yes," Remus answered simply. "But I would prefer the privacy of my quarters, don't you agree?"

Nodding, disgruntled, he followed Remus back to his quarters. He figured any attempt at escaping his fate should be done in private, and he realized that his chance of escape was small. He sighed. At least with Remus it wouldn't be too terrible about it.

Remus ushered the young miscreant into their quarters with a severe look on his face. Sirius found his stomach clenching in response to the look on his face.

"We both know that you snuck out, convinced the others to go with you, got almost eaten by an enormous three headed dog, tried to talk Harry out of calling for help, and then being cheeky to both me and your Godfather and professor, actually calling him an ugly name. Now, have I left anything out?"

"I may have attempted to assassinate someone."

"Very funny. Do you have a plea for leniency?"

"Of course," Sirius replied. "You should be lenient to me."

"No chance," Remus replied with a wry smile. "In addition to your detentions with Professor Snape, I have decided to also give you a spanking. Ten swats with a ruler. It would have been my hand if it had only been sneaking out, but the disrespect you showed Professor Snape gets you upgraded to the ruler."

Sirius paled. He was expecting this, but having Remus say it like that made his stomach drop. He wasn't sure if he was going to be angry or penitent, and he looked up at Remus' face to see his reaction.

"You have no right," he told Remus, his face twisting in anger.

"I do," Remus replied cooly.

"You are not my father."

"But I am your guardian," Remus told him firmly. "If you choose not to cooperate I will use a body bind and add swats."

"I'm not going to cooperate with you doing this," Sirius told him flatly.

"It's your backside," Remus told him, grimacing. Inwardly, Remus was conflicted. He had spanked Sirius a few times before, but this felt different. He had never spanked Sirius when he was in open rebellion like this, would he cooperate?

Remus decided to act as if he would cooperate, and he seated himself on his couch, motioning the boy over to himself. To Remus' surprise, Sirius did walk over to him, but kept carefully out of reach.

"Bend over my lap," Remus calmly told him.

"No," Sirius responded, folding his arms over his chest. "I will let you spank me over the table."

"That is not an option," Remus told him quietly. He thought about what Snape had said about the position underlining his authority, and he decided that Snape was right. "You have ten seconds to position yourself for your punishment or I make you do it."

Sirius eyed his guardian, eyed his wand, and then sighed, giving up. He knew fighting back was useless. He bent over the man's lap, holding onto his robes tightly. Remus saw his resignation, and secretly cheered that he wouldn't have to hex the child. He lifted the boy's robes.

"Accio ruler," he said calmly, causing the long, half meter ruler fly into his hand with a smack.

Sirius winced before he even felt the blow, but the blow did come, stinging and hard. He gave out a yelp in surprise, this hurt more than he was expecting. It hurt far more than Remus' hand. He squirmed away from it, but Remus held him tightly.

"You have nine more swats to go," Remus told him. "Don't fight me on it."

Another swat fell, and to his horror Sirius felt tears prickle his eyes. He had endured harsh caning from his father when he felt as if Sirius had hurt the name of Black, so surely a few swats with a ruler wouldn't make him blubber?

He yelped with the next blow, and felt the tears begin to fall. At swat seven he gave up and openly sobbed on Remus' lap, his tears falling onto Remus' robes. Remus saw him begin to cry, and understood that there was more going on than the pain of the spanking. He had seen Sirius take injuries on the Quidditch field that were more painful than this without any more than gritting his teeth. Remus forced himself to give him the last few swats with the same strength as the first ones, and then he laid down the ruler.

Sirius stayed laying over Remus' lap, hugging his legs and sobbing. He felt Remus pat his back, comforting, and just let him lay there.

"I'm sorry, Moony," he said, his sobs subsiding. "I almost got Harry really hurt."

"Yourself as well," Remus told him, smiling. "I find you just as valuable."

Sirius sniffed, wiping his face. "That hurt."

"I suppose it did," he answered, noncommittally. "Do you think me unfair?"

"Of course," Sirius said, smirking.

"Would you like a hug then?" Remus asked.

Sirius nodded, and let himself be pulled into a hug. It felt so good to have the man's arms around him, Sirius really did feel eleven years old. But even as Remus held him, he knew that this was not over. He had a moment of connection and remorse from his young charge, but he also knew his young charge well enough to know that it wasn't over. He sighed, and decided just to enjoy the moment that Sirius let himself be held.


	5. Chapter 5 - Protecting

_AN: Thanks everyone for all of the great comments - I love everyone having ideas of things that could happen! it definitely sparks ideas for me, I appreciate it. Part of the chapter today was inspired by Dutchgirl84, saying that Snape should help Harry deal with Sirius better. I wasn't going to show Snape dealing with Harry, but I sort of liked the idea of Snape helping Harry sort this out. Also, t42n24t2 suggested angry parents confronting Dumbledore about this, and I think that's a great idea! I hope everyone enjoys!_

 _Also, as as been stated several times, this story does contain parental, non-sexual spanking in it. I would have to assume that anybody becoming abusive towards me about this aspect of my story really just likes abusing people._

* * *

Harry followed Snape to their quarters after dropping Ron of with McGonagall. Her stern eyes glared at the two boys, and she promised to contact Molly that night. Harry and Ron gave each other looks of sympathy, and then Snape began marching off to their quarters. Harry had to almost run to keep up, but he was able to do so. He also remained grim and silent, knowing what was ahead of him and feeling ashamed that he had done what Sirius had asked him to do, even knowing what would happen. He could be tucked up in his bed right now if it hadn't been for him giving in on something he knew wasn't right.

They wordlessly entered their quarters, and Snape seated himself on the sofa. Harry remained standing, bowing his head and waiting for the lecture to start. Should he just go and get the ruler now?

Snape watched the boy carefully, feeling the guilt radiating off him like waves. He knew he would have to spank the lad, if for no other reason than he expected it and it would hopefully keep him in his dorm room at night. He sighed, wishing Harry hadn't done this.

"Do you know why you agreed to go with Sirius?" Snape asked in a calm voice.

"No, sir," Harry answered, shaking his head. "He asked who wanted to go. I didn't really want to, but I just sort of felt like I had to do it."

"What would have happened if you hadn't gone?"

Harry shrugged. "Ron probably wouldn't have. He probably would have gotten the twins, though. Or even gone alone."

"He may have," Snape agreed. "Or he may have not gone at all, and waited until the next day and been distracted by something else. Your agreeing to go with him bolstered him going."

Harry squirmed uncomfortably. "I'm sorry," he told him, his voice quaking just a bit.

Snape saw the fear and worry, and pulled Harry onto his lap. He held him there, feeling the child quiver a bit and then finally give in to the crying. He patted Harry's back softly, letting him cry.

"I don't know why I'm crying," Harry told him through his tears.

"I expect it's a combination of guilt and shock," Snape told him softly. "That three-headed dog was very scary."

"It almost got Sirius," Harry told him. "It tore his robes, I pulled him back. Then we couldn't get the door closed and the dog was breaking free, so I called you. Then Remus came."

"You handled it from there very well," Snape told him. "You should never be afraid to call for me. That decision could easily have saved lives."

"But then Sirius . . . I'm sorry what he said to you, Dad."

"I'm a man now," Snape told him. "His words don't hurt like they used to."

"He still shouldn't have said it," Harry answered darkly. "I'm going to have a word with him about that."

"And you think your threat would be worse than mine?" Snape asked, smirking.

Harry had to smile in response - Snape threatening to spank him had been pretty good. He doubted Sirius would dare risk that, especially once Snape got Remus' blessing. "Probably not," he admitted.

"You are being raised with Sirius now," Snape said thoughtfully, patting Harry's back. "I wonder if it would be good to talk about ways that you could say no to him when he wants to do something that will get you in trouble."

"That would be helpful," Harry admitted.

"First, I want you to think of the consequences. Not just detentions and having to deal with me, but the real, natural consequences for things. For instance, even though you didn't know that the monster was there, you did know that Dumbledore forbade going there. What could have happened?"

"It could have been a deadly plant or something," Harry admitted.

"Is Dumbledore in the habit of forbidding things that are harmless?"

"No."

"So you knew it would be something dangerous?"

"Well, I didn't think it would be that dangerous in a school."

"Harry, you go to Hogwarts, not a normal school," Snape sighed. "Things are dangerous here. How many muggle schools have moving staircases and lessons on how to create poisons?"

"That's true," Harry answered reluctantly.

"I am going to have a word with Dumbledore about that dog," Snape told him. "But the fact is that you didn't obey the headmaster. What could you say differently to Sirius?"

"I suppose you want me to say that I would never break the rules and that I'm going to tell if he does."

"I would think that unrealistic," Snape confirmed. "I'm not trying to make you into Percy Weasley, Harry. But what is something you can say that would be something you actually would say?"

"I could say I needed my beauty sleep 'cause I'm ugly enough already," Harry laughed. "Or I could say that He may love dusty old corridors but I'd rather be in bed. Or I could say that you'd promised to really let me have it if I disobeyed again, and I didn't want to risk it."

"All good options," Snape nodded. "And if you can say it in a way that makes it seem like less fun, then you have a chance at discouraging others too, like Ron."

"You're right," Harry admitted with chagrin. "I'll do it better next time."

"Now I know you like SIrius and want him to like you," Snape told him. "But you are responsible for any rules you break, and I hope you feel some guilt about bringing Ron into it as well."

"I do," Harry admitted. "And I know you're going to spank me, too."

Snape arched his eyebrows in surprise. "How do you know that?"

"You always get that sad tone in your voice before you do," Harry told him. "And you say a few times what I did wrong, as if you're trying to convince both of us why you're going to do it."

"Do you think you deserve it this time?" Snape asked.

"I want to say no because I don't want to be spanked," Harry admitted. "But logically, I would have to admit that you should. You spank me if I lie, if I break the rules, and if I put myself in danger. I got two out of the three with this one."

Snape, taken aback by Harry's logical analysis, blinked in surprise. He had never specifically said those things, but he had to admit that Harry was right. Those were the three that usually got him.

"Indeed," he agreed with the boy.

"And besides, I think Sirius and Ron are getting it too, so you would hate to think of yourself as the nicest of the parents," Harry cheekily teased.

"I am not the nicest, that is true," Snape intoned. "Alright, if we are coming to your consequences, you have the detentions like the others and you will also feel my displeasure more directly. Do you have any plea for mercy?"

"No," Harry said. "Although, you have to admit that I called you. And I didn't lie, either."

"True," Snape nodded. "So I will not use the ruler and not give you too many. I was thinking fifteen, but I think you've talked me down to ten."

"Thank you, sir," Harry nodded, accepting the mercy.

Without being told, he bent over Snape's lap and gripped onto the man's robes. He didn't think it would hurt enough for him to really need to hold on, but it made him feel better to hold onto something.

"They will be firm smacks, however," Snape told him, helping him settle into the proper position. "I want to discourage such behavior."

"Yes, sir," Harry agreed, waiting.

Snape administered the smacks to the upturned bottom before him, and had to admit that he did feel touched by the trust that Harry had demonstrated to him. It was clear that Harry didn't fear him; not only was he cheeky right before he went over the man's lap, but he also knew that Snape wouldn't be harsh with him. He wished he didn't have to do so, but he steeled himself and delivered the firm smacks.

After the final smack, he brought Harry into his arms and held him there, not speaking for a few moments. "Are you alright?" he asked Harry, his voice strained.

"I'm fine," Harry assured him. "I didn't even cry. I guess I did all of that before you spanked me. And I promise not to sneak out at night and get nearly eaten by a three headed dog again."

"See that you don't," Snape smirked. "I am serious about you not sneaking out at night, Harry."

"I know you are," Harry assured him. "I will try to be safe."

"Why don't you spend the night here," Snape told him, patting his back. "You still have pajamas in your room here, and if you need anything else I'm sure Dobby can fetch it for you."

"Are you going somewhere?" Harry asked, concerned.

"I'm going to have a word with Dumbledore as to why it was so easy for you miscreants to get yourselves into trouble," Snape told him.

"He did warn us about it," Harry told Snape. "We disobeyed."

"You did," Snape confirmed. "But there's also a concept called 'attractive nuisance.' This means that he shouldn't have anything that would tempt you guys to get hurt."

"Well, that's going to rule out a lot of things at Hogwarts," Harry smirked.

"Try to behave until I get back," Snape told him, helping Harry off his lap and standing up. "I want you asleep within the next half hour."

"Okay, dad," he answered. "What are you going to do to us in detention, though?"

"I believe you will need to wait to find out," Snape answered with an evil smile. "But I would warn you not to wear your nicest clothes."

Rolling his eyes, Harry nodded and headed to his room.

As Snape entered Dumbledore's office, he could already hear Molly yelling at Dumbledore at her full strength.

"He could have been killed!" she yelled, irate. "How dare you have that dog in this school!"

"Molly, Headmaster, Remus," he greeted as he entered the room, nodding at each of them. "I seem to not be the only one upset."

"They got in with an alohomora spell," Remus explained. "Surely there should have been much better protection."

"I understand that you're upset," Dumbledore told them, placating. "But it is imperative that we protect what we're trying to protect."

"And what is so important that you're trying to protect?" Molly demanded.

Dumbledore hesitated, exchanging glances with Snape, and Snape nodded at him. "It's an object that can possibly be used for a spirit to come back to life," Dumbledore explained.

"You mean the Dark Lord," Molly answered, shocked. "Why are you protecting it?"

"We are attempting to protect it until I'm able to destroy it," Dumbledore confirmed. "I have Severus and several other teachers helping to protect it."

"It also serves another purpose," Snape leveled with Remus and Molly. "The protections are designed to protect the object, but also to hopefully entrap whomever is trying to get it."

"There was a break in at Gringotts just as I removed the object," Dumbledore told them. "There is someone actively helping him, someone with power and access. We need to find out who it is."

"I understand all of that," Molly told them, her eyes hardening. "But who then left that monster behind an easily accessed door and then practically dared kids to go and explore?"

"That would be me," Dumbledore admitted. "I may have miscalculated, especially with Sirius Black back at this school."

"We also do have the Weasley twins," Snape reminded him. "I believe we need to increase the security so that only a fully grown wizard can access the third floor corridor."

"At least," Molly glared at them. "My sons can be a handful, that's true. But this whole school is full of intelligent children who are just learning their magic. It is truly dangerous to have anything like that so easily accessible."

"I apologize, madame," Dumbledore smiled at her. "I am sorry to have underestimated our students."

"Ron of course should not have gone," Molly admitted.

"It was Sirius who instigated it," Remus told them. "I hope that he won't do that again."

"I'm sure the consequences the young men received will deter future wrongdoing," Dumbledore smiled gently. "Not a one of them have indifferent parents."

Snape smiled to himself, realizing how well Dumbledore was handling them. The three of them went in to find out why their sons had been put in such peril, and they were not only placated but also praised for being involved parents.

"If we're done I must get back to Sirius," Remus told them. "I'm having him stay the night with me."

"Harry is with me as well," Snape replied. "We should get back."

"Yes, yes," Molly fussed, not feeling completely satisfied but was at least partially distracted. "But I do not want to hear about anybody else getting needlessly injured."

"Of course, Madame," Dumbledore bowed slightly to her. "Thank you for coming to me with your concerns."


	6. Chapter 6 - Flying Lessons

_AN: Thank you to katiek121 for the idea of them going flying, but I thought it should be Remus initiating the time together._

* * *

Remus woke up the next morning, thinking about Sirius. It was clear that the boy was going to be a handful, but that wasn't what worried him. He knew that Sirius would follow enough of the rules as long as he had incentives, and he knew he had to step up to make sure he knew those rules and consequences. But he was more worried about if Sirius would be able to bond with him. He sensed that that was going to be the core of everything. If Sirius didn't bond to him as a father, than his childhood would not change from what it was the time before. Remus felt the weight of what he needed to do with Sirius, and he was unsure of how to do it.

He heard Sirius stirring, so he pushed himself out of bed and dressed. He found Sirius drinking coffee at the table.

"Aren't you a little young for coffee?" Remus asked, his eyebrow arching and getting himself a cup.

"You know we both started drinking it our first year at Hogwarts," Sirius answered, his voice rude.

Remus sighed, not wanting to get into this kind of a match with Sirius. A big part of him just wanted to let the boy go back to the tower and only see him when he had to do it. Sirius could just be so difficult - but he knew that this was not the time to allow the boy to push himself away.

"After class today I'd like to meet you here," he told Sirius, his voice neutral.

"Why?" Sirius asked, challenging.

"It will be something you like," Remus replied. "Right after class. Tomorrow you have to go and stay with Harry and Severus, so I thought we should spend some time together."

Sirius grumbled a reply, and Remus didn't challenge him on it.

Even though Sirius gave the outward show of not caring, he was intrigued. He knew that he was giving his former friend a rough time, but he just couldn't seem to help it. He actually felt sorry for Moony, he wasn't sure he was up for parenting a child like him. But then on the other hand he would get really annoyed with Moony as well - didn't the man realize that he was an adult, not a child? Why had his adult self put him in this position? He could still feel the ghost of the pain he had endured with the spanking last night if he thought about it. How could his friend do that to him?

Sirius knew the answer, but didn't want to admit it. The answer was that Moony wasn't his friend anymore, that he was now his father.

Sirius dawdled after class, chatting to Harry and Ron about the great three-headed dog. Hermione had questioned them closely about everything they saw, even correctly identifying the animal as a cerebrus.

"But why was he there?" she asked. "Dumbledore wouldn't do it unless there was a purpose."

"Maybe to see if kids obey him?" Ron asked. "Come on, guys, there doesn't have to be a reason, I think he's gone a bit senile."

"He could be guarding something," Hermione suggested. "In the myths there's a three headed dog that guards Hades."

"What could he be guarding?" Sirius asked.

"Something they want to keep safe," Harry replied, thoughtfully. "But what would they go through such lengths to guard that wouldn't be kept at Gringott's?"

"My dad said there was a break-in there," Ron told him.

"What was taken?" Harry asked.

"Nothing, that's the weird thing," Ron answered. "Apparently the vault was emptied that morning."

"Do you know by who?" Harry asked.

"My money is on Hagrid," Sirius told them. "He's always the one that Dumbledore sends for these kinds of things."

"Who's Hagrid?" Hermione asked,

"He's the groundskeeper," Ron answered. "Big fellow. Do you know him, Sirius?"

Sirius shrugged. "We got on when I was in school."

"Do you feel like paying him a visit?" Harry asked. "Maybe introduce your new friends?"

"I can do that," Sirius smiled. "Just the four of us, right?"

"Right," Harry agreed.

Sirius looked over his shoulder, as if expecting Remus to materialize out of nowhere to drag him off.

"You're nervous," Harry observed, trying to discern his face. "Why?"

"Well, Remus wanted me to meet him after class."

"Then why are you hanging around here?" Harry asked incredulously. "Do you really want to make him mad?"

"Maybe a little mad," Sirius smirked.

"Didn't you get spanked last night?" Harry asked him.

"Yes," he admitted, his ears reddening.

"Thick as rock," Ron shook his head. "He'll think he didn't do a proper job of it if you're this disobedient the next day. It's your funeral, mate."

Sirius looked at Ron and Harry, and Harry was nodding. "You'd better go and you'd better apologize," Harry told him knowingly. "It was hard for me to get used to having a guardian that actually cared about me too, Sirius. Try not to screw it up."

"I'm not sure I want this anymore."

"You lot say you want parents," Ron scoffed. "Not all they're cracked up to be, are they?"

"They are, actually," Harry answered calmly. "There's just a few parts that are hard. Like doing what they tell you."

"I shouldn't have to!" Sirius protested. "I want Remus to just be my friend, like before."

"You're mental," Ron told him. "You're eleven years old, and he's over thirty. How could he be friends with you?"

Sirius walked back to Remus' quarters, thinking about what Ron had said. Was it true that he couldn't be friends with Remus? He hadn't thought about the fact that he had very little to offer a man so much older than himself.

"There you are," Remus remarked mildly as Sirius walked in their quarters. "I had begun to despair of you remembering."

"I'm sorry I'm late," Sirius mumbled to him.

"It's fine," Remus told him. "Though it's polite to be on time. I wanted to take you flying this afternoon."

"Flying?"

"Yes," Remus answered. "I feel like we haven't spent enough time together since we got back to Hogwarts, and the time we have spent hasn't been fun."

Sirius blushed and looked away. Last night had certainly not been fun.

"So I thought it would be a good afternoon to fly. Care to join me?" Remus kept his voice calm and neutral, though he recognized why Sirius had been late. He found himself wishing to just send the child away so he didn't have to deal with him, but he realized that he had to do it. If they couldn't connect and start having good experiences together, all was lost. The books Severus had given him had talked about the importance of that primary attachment to the caregiver, and like it or not he was Sirius' father.

Nodding, Sirius took the broom Remus offered and followed him quietly to the outside of the castle. Silently, both of them straddled the broom and Remus led them away from the castle. Remus flew randomly through the crisp fall afternoon, smelling the scent of falling leaves and ripened fruit as they buzzed by an orchard. He had of course cast glamours on them so they wouldn't be seen, and they happily flew unnoticed.

Sirius at first felt trepidatious following Remus, was this some new lecture or lesson he wanted him to learn? Was there going to be some sort of test or punishment associated? Then, the longer they flew without a word, Sirius began to relax and enjoy. Flying like this was something that he hadn't done since he was a boy - just being out and enjoying the weather and the day.

They made a large circle around the forbidden forest, and Sirius spotted a herd of unicorns drinking at the side of a silvery lake.

"Unicorns!" he called out to Remus, pointing down at the spectacle. Remus nodded, spotting them too, but both of them knew not to get too close to the skittish creatures.

Sirius was so busy looking down that he didn't realize that Remus flew him directly to the Shrieking Shack. He landed just behind his guardian, not bothering to hide the surprise on his face.

"Let's go in," Remus told him.

"We can't go in except through the tunnel," Sirius told him.

"So you do remember," Remus smiled, making no move to go into the house. "How much do you remember?"

"I remember it all, I think, it's just hazy," Sirius explained carefully, trying to see the shack in his memories.

"Do you remember that I had something wrong with me? Something that almost made me not able to come to Hogwarts until Dumbledore worked out for me to come here during my monthly times?"

"I remember," Sirius admitted.

"I was friendless, defenseless, and I knew I would be kicked out if anybody found out. But my three dorm mates did find out. And they became Animagi in order to help me."

"It was also pretty fun," Sirius smirked.

"Don't think I've ever forgotten the gift you gave me, Sirius Black."

"What gift?" he asked, confused.

"The gift of your friendship," Remus explained. "You befriended me, protected me, and even changed who you were so you could be with me during my time every month. If anybody else had found out, I would have been forced to leave Hogwarts."

"We couldn't do that to you, Moony," Sirius admitted.

"Exactly," Remus pressed. "You couldn't. It was hard for you to do your change, unsupervised and not helped, but still you did. And suddenly me, a boy that wasn't able to attend school or earn a living, suddenly had friends, a school, and a bright future."

"Until the world went crazy."

"Yes, until then," Remus nodded. "But don't think I've ever forgotten what you did, and don't think I ever will. You paid dearly for your loyalty to our group, Sirius, and I know that better than anyone. I want to let you have a childhood again, and this time to not have your youth sucked away by dementors in Azkaban."

"What happened, happened."

"And now you have a fresh start," Remus spoke softly, hearing the depression in Sirius' voice. "With a new guardian, and with new friends."

"It's hard, Moony," Sirius admitted. "Sometimes I'm not sure if I'm really the eleven year old I appear to be or that crazed, skinny monster that survived Azkaban to kidnap Harry. The man that was at fault for the murder of his best friends, Lily and James. I don't know who I am."

"I know who you are, Sirius Black," Remus told him, laying a soft hand on his shoulder. "And I also know it wasn't your fault that Lily and James were killed. If we cannot find a way to work past that guilt it's going to kill you."

Sirius hung his head, wanting to believe his friend, but also not being able to. He also later looked back to those words and wondered if Remus didn't have the gift of the second sight.


	7. Chapter 7 - Hagrid's Hut

Sirius found himself leading his three friends down to Hagrid's Hut the next day. He figured this would be a good day to be gone as Remus did not seem happy with him, and Harry had been eager to learn more about what the monster dog was hiding. Besides, Hagrid's hut wasn't technically out of bounds, as it was still within the wards of the school.

Sirius knocked on the door of the small stone cottage and waited for the gruff groundskeeper to answer.

"Sirius Black!" the giant exclaimed as he opened the door. "I had heard yer were little again. You look just like ye did all those years ago!"

"These are my friends, Hagrid," Sirius introduced. "Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter."

"Blimey! Guests!" Hagrid smiled enthusiastically. "Come in, come in, I'll put the kettle on."

The four found themselves seated at a large, rough table. They looked around at the various ropes, traps, and other contraptions lining the walls of the cottage, some well-used and some dusty with disuse. Sirius felt the nostalgia wash over him in this place; it had been one of his favorites as a student. Hagrid had a way with students, particularly Gryffindors, and he was always a soft, easy adult for them to come to when they needed it. Hagrid never scolded or corrected, he had just always been there.

"I just made some rock cakes this morning," he smiled at them, putting several lumpy, grayish cakes on a plate. "I got them looking just like rocks this time, didn't I?"

"You certainly did," Hermione answered politely. "I've never seen rock cakes before."

"Well, they're an old family recipe," Hagrid beamed. "Here, I'll get your your tea so you can dunk them, they're better that way."

Each child soon found themselves with a large mug of overly-sweet tea placed in front of them. Sirius remembered the rock cakes with a grimace, but showed the others how to eat them by not just dunking them but soaking them in the sweet tea so that they could be bitten without hurting your teeth.

"So what brings you out here, my boy?" Hagrid asked Sirius, crunching away on his rock cake happily.

"You were always so kind to me as a student here," Sirius told him. "I wanted to, well, renew our acquaintance. And when I found out that my friends didn't know you I invited them along. I hope you don't mind."

"Mind?" Hagrid echoed happily. "I love company, my boy! It gets lonely sometimes out here, I'm tickled you dropped by!"

"Then tell me how the animals in the forest are doing," Sirius asked, sipping his tea. "Catch me up on what I missed."

The children spent the next half hour hearing all of the updates about the centaurs, unicorns, acromantulas, and everything else that roamed around the forbidden forest. Sirius saw the incredulous looks on his friends' faces as Hagrid described Acromantulas as if they were adorable puppies.

"Bless me, Sirius, but some of those Acromantulas are coming up so cute," he gushed about them. "Ol' Aragog is pleased as punch at how big they're getting. And since I've told them what varmits to feed on, they've been clearing the place out of screwts and all sorts of nasty creatures. Right useful, those Acromantulas."

Hermione and Ron, remembering how close they'd gotten to been fed upon by an Acromantula, gulped and looked pale.

"We had some Acromantula in the castle Halloween before last," Harry explained. "They were quite fearsome creatures."

"Dead smart too," Hagrid smiled. "Bless them, such sweet creatures. I heard that you three bested one as just little tykes. Well done, that, many second and third years couldn't do it."

"We were dead lucky," Harry told him, smiling. "I did some accidental magic that helped, too. And then my dad came to the rescue."

"I heard ye'd been adopted by Professor Snape," Hagrid looked at Harry carefully. "How is that going for ye?"

"He's great!" Harry smiled. "He's strict, though. That bout with the acromantula cost me a pretty sore bottom. WIth a ruler, too."

"Professor Snape is strict, Harry, but he's always been fair as much as I can see."

"He is," Harry assured him. "He's never smacked me when I didn't deserve it. I got it the other day too, but this time with just his hand. Sirius talked us into going into the third floor corridor."

"The third floor?" Hagrid asked, his rock cake forgotten.

"Yes, Dumbledore had forbidden it, do you see," Harry said nonchalantly, sipping his tea. "So we wanted to see what was there. We opened the door and there was a giant three headed dog!"

"You saw Fluffy?" Hagrid asked, incredulous.

"Fluffy?" Ron squeaked, paling. "That thing's name is Fluffy?"

"It was quite a dog," Harry continued, glaring at Ron. "I was surprised it was in Hogwarts, it must not like being chained up like that."

"No, she don't like it," Hagrid admitted. "I go and visit her as much as I can, and sometimes I let her out for a run after the students are in bed."

"She must be guarding something really important to make it necessary to use Fluffy," Harry commented. "And to keep her locked up like that."

"What she's guarding is between Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel," Hagrid replied, eyes narrowing at Harry. Then, realizing his error, said, "I shouldn't have said that."

"Who is Nicholas Flamel?" Harry asked.

"You youngsters stay away from that stone!" Hagrid told them. "It causes nothing but problems, ye stay away until Dumbledore can destroy it. I shouldn't have said that."

"It's okay, we're safe," Harry told him, smiling. "It would take someone very stupid to get past Fluffy."

"It would," Hagrid agreed, looking discontent. "Poor girl, I hope she doesn't have to be there long."

"Me too," Hermione answered. "It has been so kind for you to have us to tea."

"Please come back soon," Hagrid told them, looking wistfully at the clock and realizing that they needed to head to dinner. "I love having young 'uns about."

"We have detention tonight," Sirius told him. "After dinner. For visiting Fluffy."

"With Snape?" Hagrid laughed. "I heard he always gave the worst detentions. Don't wear yer good clothes."

"We should go," Sirius stood up with a quick smile.

"Before ye go, Sirius, I was wondering if ye could help me with something outside real quick."

"Okay," Sirius shrugged, following the giant and then looking back at his friends. "I'll be right back," he told them.

"Remus is raising you?" Hagrid asked as soon as they were out of earshot of the others. "I can't see this as a good thing, Sirius."

"He's fine," Sirius shrugged, looking away.

"I know you boys," Hagrid told him. "I know you better than anyone. I'd have thought ye'd be better off with Snape raising you."

"Snape!" Sirius objected. "He hates me."

"Well, at least you'd know where you stood," Hagrid told him. "Is Remus really being a father to ye?"

"What is a father?" Sirius asked with a shrug. "My father barely knew me, and I was always dead scared of him. Remus is better than that."

"Ye've seen Ron with his parents, and Harry with Professor Snape," Hagrid told him levelly. "Is that what you have with Remus?"

"No," Sirius admitted, looking away. "I'm, well, I'm difficult. I keep screwing up, I'm angry all the time. I'm not sure why Remus would even agree to be my guardian."

"You were his best friend," Hagrid told him, his enormous eyebrows bunching together. "Why wouldn't he?"

"He didn't care before," Sirius said, unexpected tears coming to his eyes. "When I went to prison. He didn't care. James was his best friend, not me. And I took James away."

"There, there," Hagrid told him, patting his huge hand against Sirius' small back. "Try hard not to be too hard on Remus or yerself. At the time that it happened, well, the ministry showed all of us the pensieve memory of you confessing. It was so hard to believe. Dumbledore said that you must have just cracked under the pressure, maybe had some sort of psychotic break."

"I guess I did look pretty guilty. I said it was my fault because it was my fault - I talked them into changing their secret keeper. I thought they would be safer."

"Not your fault," Hagrid told him gruffly. "But try to forgive us that should have found out more. Nobody was more broken up about it than Remus."

"So I feel betrayed by him and he hates me," Sirius sighed.

"It sounds like you have some things to work out is all," Hagrid assured him.

"He doesn't like me," Sirius admitted, tears flowing freely now. "He likes Padfoot, the boy who he knew twenty years ago. Me? I'm an obligation he feels for what Padfoot did for him."

"That can't be true!" Hagrid protested.

"It is," Sirius assured him, furiously wiping his tears. "He only ever interacts with me if he feels he should, he doesn't really care about me. He just ignores me, and then punishes me when I'm too naughty."

"He doesn't hurt you, does he?" Hagrid asked.

"Not really," Sirius admitted. "Not like when my father would cane me. But in some ways I would rather be caned by my father! Last time it was awful."

"Tell me," Hagrid said, his voice concerned.

"He didn't listen to me," Sirius tried to explain. "It wasn't the spanking itself; that I probably deserved. But I had just called Snape Snivellus . . ."

"You didn't!" Hagrid gasped.

"I did," Sirius confirmed wryly. "Apparently I have a death wish or something. Anyway, Snape floated me upside down to remind me of what I used to do to him, and then threatened to spank me if I ever said it again. Then Lupin agreed that Snape could, and then he took me away and spanked me with a ruler."

"It sounds like you were a bit scared," Hagrid recognized.

Sirius nodded. "I had all these feelings about being nearly eaten by Fluffy and then being hung upside down - anger, fear, and I also felt some shame for what we had done. I wanted to talk to Remus, but instead he just told me what I did wrong and said I had ten seconds to get over his lap and take my punishment or he'd put me in a body bind."

"I can see why that was hard," Hagrid nodded. "It sounds like he doesn't know what he's doing."

Sirius nodded, feeling even more miserable. It would be easier if it were malice like his own father had towards him, but Sirius suspected that his friend just didn't know what he was doing.

"Can I talk to Dumbledore about this?" Hagrid asked. "I don't know what to do, and I feel like there needs to be a wiser head than mine helping you."

"I don't want to get Remus in trouble," Sirius told him softly.

"I don't think it's a matter of getting in trouble," Hagrid told him. "But I think Remus might need some help."

Sirius nodded, sniffing. "You can tell him," Sirius agreed reluctantly.

"I'm glad you found your way down here," Hagrid told him, patting the boy's back more firmly. "And it was good of ye to bring yer friends."

Sirius squirmed a bit, sorry that it had taken them wanting to get information in order for him to come visit Hagrid in the first place. "I had forgotten how we used to talk," he admitted to the giant, looking up into his soft brown eyes with vulnerability. "I have trouble remembering how it used to be."

"Well, I'm glad you did," Hagrid told him. "And it doesn't have to be how it used to be - I'm happy to get to know the new Sirius Black too."

"I'm not that much different," Sirius protested.

"How could you not be?" Hagrid argued. "And maybe that's everyone's problem. You are not Padfoot to his Moony anymore, lad. It's like yer both fighting so hard to be what you were - but ye aren't. And Remus isn't who he was either. Maybe you both need to find a new way."


	8. Chapter 8 - From a Different Perspective

_AN: Events in this chapter reference a one-shot that I wrote, called the Performance Review. You don't need to have read it to understand the reference, this is just more for people who want a little more background._

* * *

The three miscreants heeded Hagrid's warning about their clothes, and were very glad that they did. Snape had them shelling mollusks that came from the lake, extracting their internal organs for potions, and then putting their carcasses in a bowl for the kitchen elves to fry up for breakfast. The mollusks were slippery and smelly, and the boys found it hard to grip them as they pried them open with a knife. They found themselves with brows sweaty with concentration but stinky hands not wanting to wipe it.

"Make sure you are careful with the innards," Snape directed. "I prefer the organ sac not punctured."

"It's bloody hard to do this!" Sirius protested. "I can't guarantee the organ sac."

"Then you will simply have to repeat this detention," Snape told him calmly, looking back at his notebook. "After gathering more mollusks from the lake with which to work."

The boys grumbled in response, but tried to keep the innard sack intact as they separated it from the rest of the mollusk.

Though the boys thought that his entire attention was focused on them and their detention, Snape's mind was actually much further away with the note he had gotten from the Headmaster. It had been as enigmatic as ever - simply asking for his presence in his office after he had finished up the boys' detention. Even after all these years and even after countless spying missions, Snape still got the feeling as if he were being summoned to the headmaster's office to be scolded and given detention. He sighed, he would have to simply wait and see what the headmaster wanted from him.

After Snape had dismissed three tired, smelly boys from his potions lab he swept up to Dumbledore's office, trying to seem neither nervous nor eager for the meeting. It took a feet of occlumency to keep his featured calm and well-schooled as he entered the office and saw Remus Lupin standing there, looking like a whipped dog.

"Ah, Severus my boy," Dumbledore greeted him. "Remus has just consented to allowing us to view a memory of his."

"Which memory?" Snape asked with trepidation, though he knew the answer. He squirmed as he knew Dumbledore would see him hanging Sirius Black upside down, an action that had been bothering his conscious since he'd done it.

"Remus is having a bit of trouble with his charge, and I thought if we viewed one of his latest interactions with him we could perhaps consult together and maybe come up with some solutions."

"Indeed," Snape answered, noncommittally. "Which memory were you thinking?"

"I think the last time that he disciplined the lad would be best," Dumbledore smirked. "Come, it's already in the pensieve."

Snape reluctantly approached the pensieve and the three men immersed their heads in the swirling liquid. Snape saw the confrontation from Remus' perspective, and felt shame burn his ears when he saw him hex Sirius upside down. Though at the time he felt like another child, in fact the very child that Sirius and his friends had similarly hexed. But looking at it now, he instead saw a much bigger and much more magically competent wizard frightening a much smaller child. It shamed him.

Remus saw himself in the pensieve, and tried to think objectively about what he saw. He watched Sirius' face much closer than he had in real life, and he saw the fear and the worry much more than he had at the time. And when the memory progressed to where Remus spanked him, he found himself embarrassed by how hard and how cold he had been to Sirius. Sirius had almost been killed, his robes were torn from the dog, and Remus had simply been focused on punishing him. But he still didn't know what he should have done differently.

When they came out of the memory, Remus and Snape exchanged glances, both wary and ashamed. How was Dumbledore going to handle this?"

"Snape, if you don't mind, can we view your memory of how you handled Harry for the same misdeed?"

"Is it necessary?" Snape asked, his voice strangled. He didn't like the idea of having others see him in such a vulnerable place with Harry.

"I think it would be most helpful," Dumbledore answered gently. "I know this is hard, but it is necessary."

Snape, nodding reluctantly, drew the memory from his mind and put it in the pensieve. Again, the three men entered the memory, which started as Harry and Snape returned to their quarters. They watched as Snape pulled Harry onto his lap and comfort him when he cried from the fear he had felt during the attack by the dog, and how he patiently discussed other things he could have done instead. Even his reluctance to spank the lad was evident, and Snape found himself wincing as the punishment was indeed given firmly on the miscreant's backside. And then more comfort and conversations.

The men exited the memory. The difference between the two punishments was striking; Harry felt no real fear of Snape, accepted and welcomed his comfort, and even joked with Snape about it. He put himself over Snape's lap in full trust, knowing what was going to happen but also feeling a sense of justice with it. Remus realized looking at that memory that his parenting was far from idea. He was nowhere near there with Sirius.

"I have good news for you, Remus," Dumbledore told him softly. "Arthur Weasley will be willing to take over Sirius' guardianship for now at least. Andromeda might be able to do it by summer."

"That's good news?" Remus blinked.

"It seems as if you're not interested in being his father, only his teacher," Dumbledore briskly observed. "So I thought I would let you out of what seems an uncomfortable guardianship. Arthur has raised many boys, including his twins, so he's well versed on meeting a child's emotional needs. Sirius gets on with Ron, so it seems a good fit."

"But . . . " Remus protested.

"I had considered Severus," Dumbledore continued. "But I think he has too many childhood issues still to work out. After viewing that memory, I am convinced of it. Now, gentlemen, unless there's anything further to say?"

Remus squirmed uncomfortably. He was beginning to see how he'd failed Sirius, and watching Snape in that same moment with Harry was highly convicting. Part of him did want to just agree to the Headmaster's plan, after all, what did he have to offer Sirius? He really didn't know anything about being a father. But the idea of Sirius becoming a Weasley, while he had to admit was not horrid, didn't sit well with him either.

"Headmaster," Remus said, his head down. "I would feel awful for that to happen. I, well, I care for the boy."

"Do you?" the Headmaster asked, feigning surprise. "From what I've seen from you this year is abdication, avoidance, and a distinct lack of communication."

"I took him flying!" Remus protested. "We had a talk."

"You had great intentions," the Headmaster softened. "And I was glad to see it. But Sirius came away from that conversation feeling as if you love him as your friend, and as the boy he was before. He is not that same boy, and you aren't either. You need to find a way to build an accord with the boy, or I will send him off to Arthur."

"Then you're willing to give me a second chance?"

"I am," Dumbledore answered, a twinkle in his eye. "But I want to discuss at length the situation we viewed with Sirius, and how you saw it compare and contrast with how Snape and Harry were. Now don't worry, Snape has had much longer at this parenting thing, so I don't expect you to be perfect. But I do expect to see you engage emotionally with your charge."

"Yes, sir," Remus answered, feeling like a scolded child.

"As a prefect you let your friends get away with what you should have stopped, and you will not do that again," Dumbledore told him sternly. "And you will not pretend the problem will go away if you ignore it. Do I have your promise that you will engage?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, let us begin. What are some of the differences you noticed between the two situations?"

The three men talked ad nauseum about the differences in parenting in the two situations, and Remus felt more and more convicted about the choices he had made. He vowed to apologize to the boy and do better.

"I have been wondering for some time now if him having his adult memories is a good choice," Snape told them, thoughtfully.

"They are supposed to be mostly dim," Dumbledore told him.

"I'm not suggesting obliviating him," Snape told them. "But I could occlude them in his mind for him, to be let out when he reaches the age that he can deal with it better."

"Would he be just like he was at eleven then?" Remus asked.

"More or less," Snape answered. "I suggest we let him remember everything smoothly from the time before to the time he was regressed. We can tell him and explain the regression, but he wouldn't have any more access to the memories that are the most hurtful - the death of the Potters, Azkaban, that sort of thing."

"We should give him the option," Remus answered firmly. "But it really could be a fresh start for him."

"I think we've come to a good place," Dumbledore told the two men, nodding. "Remus, I would like to talk to Severus alone for a few minutes."

Remus, shooting Severus a look of sympathy, exited the room.

"Yes, Headmaster?" Snape asked neutrally once they were alone.

"Your idea for occluding Sirius' memories is a thoughtful one," he told the young professor.

"Thank you," Snape replied, knowing it wasn't over.

"I think it is going too far for Sirius, but I see it as coming from a place of wanting to help."

"it is."

"But I am very disturbed by what I saw in the pensieve of your dealings with young Sirius."

"As am I," Snape admitted, looking down.

"You are a much older and more competent wizard, and seeing you hex a frightened child like that made me feel very disappointed."

"I agree," Snape replied again. "I, I don't know. I felt like a child at the time, like we were equals. But seeing it on the pensieve . . ."

"You would never hex Harry like that."

"Of course not!" Snape replied in horror. And then he gulped; Sirius and Harry were the same age.

"Of course not," Dumbledore agreed. "You are far too careful with his emotional health, you know it would frighten him unduly."

"Yes," Snape replied in a whisper.

"And especially not if Harry had just been frightened, say by a large three headed dog. In fact, if Harry had said something similar in those circumstances you would probably request that Harry not call you that name, but you would seek to comfort him in his fear. Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir," Snape answered, miserable. He wished he could lie to the man, but he knew how fruitless that would be. Dumbledore just knew him too well.

"But yet you chose to intimidate, hex, glare at, and do your best to frighten Sirius, who is a vulnerable child like Harry."

"Yes, but . . ."

"Good, as long as we are clear on that," Dumbledore briskly answered. "Then you can apologize to the boy for your abuse and we can move past this."

"Apologize?" Snape repeated, incredulous.

"Of course," Dumbledore answered. "That is what people do when they have wronged and abused someone."

"I can't apologize to Sirius Black!" Snape protested, his eyes blazing. "I would never do such a thing!"

"I believe you will," Dumbledore told him, his voice soft but as strong as iron.

"I would rather take the strap," Snape fumed.

"That can be arranged if necessary," Dumbledore answered, his voice still soft but firm. "Though I had assumed you were getting too old for it. Also, it would be in addition to the apology, not instead of it."

Snape glared at Dumbledore, daring the man to convince him to do it.

"So I see we are at an impasse," Dumbledore told him calmly, gazing at Snape's face with his inscrutable blue eyes.

"So we are," Snape ground out, meeting Dumbledore's gaze with a black glare.

"You will meet me here tomorrow at the same time," Dumbledore told him softly. "I hope you will have apologized by then."

"I sincerely doubt it," Snape snapped at the man.

"That would be rather disappointing," Dumbledore told him seriously. "Until tomorrow, Severus."

Snape flounced his robes and left Dumbledore's office, angry. He was happy that he did not meet with any students on his way back to the dungeons, for he may not have been able to keep from hexing them. He didn't want Dumbledore ordering him to apologize to every bloody student in the school!


	9. Chapter 9 - Exit Padfoot

_AN: I hope you enjoy this chapter! I promise to get back to some action soon (Bella and Quirrell must be dealt with!), but I feel like this is some important ground work to develop if Sirius/Remus is going to work. Also, I just wanted to say how gratifying it is to have such high quality reviews from so many people, it has been amazing to have the feedback I've gotten for this story. Thank you so much! I was a little surprised at the Dumbledore angst out there, but I can understand; it is hard to reconcile the lovable, affable Dumbledore in fiction to the man that abandoned Harry with the Dursleys. But, let me clear a few things up as far as my story is concerned. First, Dumbledore doesn't really intend to ship Sirius off to the Weasleys (although he would find Sirius another guardian if need be). Really, he wanted Remus to make a choice of whether or not he wanted to parent, not be wishy-washy about the whole thing. Then, when Remus chose in, he's doing his best to help him do it well. Secondly, Snape was the one to bring up the strap, not Dumbledore. And really that was more to acknowledge their relationship - Dumbledore is like a father to him. Not that Dumbledore wouldn't take such action if he felt it needed, but that's not actually his primary means of operation. And Snape wouldn't apologize unless he actually did mean it - it would be too humiliating. He was serious that he would rather have the strap, pain is much easier for him to deal with than humiliation. But Dumbledore recognizes his need to apologize, and it is as needed for Severus as it is for Sirius._

* * *

Remus lay in bed that night, unsure of what to do. He hadn't realized how detached his parenting had been until he saw the interaction with Snape and Harry - they were just so connected with each other. Harry had known what he did was wrong, submitted to his punishment, and recognized that Snape didn't want to do it. And the fact that he could accept comfort from Snape both before and after his punishment showed the trust they had. That was not at all what it had been like with Sirius and himself.

Did he really want Sirius as his ward? His son? In the dark of his room Remus really asked himself that question. It would have been very easy to describe to people how it had been just too hard to parent someone who was once his friend, and that he wasn't cut out to help a child with so much emotional baggage. People would nod, understand, and maybe even agree that the boy should go to family like Andromeda. It would be so easy, and his life would return to how it had been before. He might even be able to still be a sort of uncle to Sirius like he was to Harry, and Sirius would be better off. After all, what did he have to offer the boy?

Remus squirmed and was glad to have nobody see him blushing. It really did come down to him thinking he wasn't good enough for Sirius. Just like he'd never dated because he didn't believe himself good enough to partner with someone, he didn't believe he was worthy to have a son. So he hedged himself, not being vulnerable and allowing Sirius to reject him. It would be so much easier to just have the fun of interaction without having to be someone Sirius had to reply upon.

But he also knew in his heart that Sirius represented one of his fondest wishes - one that he would scarcely have been able to acknowledge. He had never thought that being a father would be something he would be able to do, his "condition" made parenting a dangerous prospect. And he had been scraping by for so long - living by his wits and what he could conjure, not ever feeling like he belonged. And now he had a respectable job, stable friendships, and even the opportunity to be a father. Would he be brave enough to take what was offered to him? Or was he going to resign himself to the shadows where he believed he had always belonged?

...

Snape was similarly tossing and turning in his own bed. He had to admit the logic of Dumbledore's observations, and he now felt a great deal of shame about hexing Black. He had always thought himself above the Marauders, and now he felt like the very worst one. True, he had been outnumbered, but he had won sometimes and was able to protect himself often enough. But Black stood no chance against him. He had been pleased when Remus backed up his threat, but now felt ashamed of that as well. He wasn't Sirius' father, Remus needed to be his parent not him.

Snape debated the necessity of apologizing to the boy. Dumbledore had made himself very clear - and Snape knew well enough that Dumbledore shouldn't be crossed directly. But to apologize to Black? To Sirius Black? He would make Dumbledore force him, not just hint and having to force him.

Then, as soon as he decided that he would not apologize, the shame returned. He really had hexed a small, frightened boy more out of childhood revenge than any real sense of justice. He had been wrong, but he did not want to admit it. He did not want to admit that his temper had gotten the better of him, and that he'd given space to his hate and anger. Apologizing would be admitting that, and admitting it to his former enemy. He couldn't imagine anything worse than that; he would rather have the cruciatus from Voldemort.

Harry saw his father the next day at breakfast and knew to stay out of his way. His instincts to avoid potential blow ups were well-honed, Uncle Vernon had taught him well. And he knew the look on his father's face was not one to mess with. He sat beside Sirius, who was watching Remus with the same look on his face.

"Remus wants to see me after school today," Sirius told Harry. "I think he's done having me as his ward."

"That can't be it!" Harry answered, shocked.

"He doesn't really like it," Sirius told him, sighing. "He liked Padfoot, not me."

Harry didn't reply, not knowing what to say. He didn't think that their kind teacher could be that way - but Harry knew what it felt like to not be wanted, and that was tough. He picked at his bacon.

"Maybe Snape could take you," Harry said. "We'd be brothers."

"I'd sooner have Filch take me," Sirius shot back. "Snape would kill me."

"I suppose he's not your biggest fan . . ."

"You saw him turn me upside down?"

"That wasn't his greatest moment," Harry admitted. "Why did he do that?"

"I - we - used to do it to him," Sirius admitted. "Back in the day. So it wasn't entirely unfair."

"But you're a kid," Harry protested. "It was unfair. Would you like me to talk to him about it?"

"No!" Sirius gasped. "No! Don't risk him loving you for me."

"It's not like that," Harry protested. "I don't think I could risk that that easily. I can talk to him about stuff."

"No," Sirius insisted. "Promise me that you won't."

"I won't," Harry promised. "But really, it's no big deal . . ."

"It is," Sirius replied, glaring at his eggs.

"Merlin, Sirius, what did those eggs do to you?" Ron announced, smirking as he sat down next to them. "What's wrong, in trouble for going to Hagrid's?"

"No," Harry told him with a glance at the angry Snape. "At least I don't think so. Mine just sort of looks ready to kill everyone."

"And mine looks like he's about to cry," Sirius observed. "It's so sad to kiss off your friend and tell them to find another guardian."

"Quit being such a sodding prat, Sirius," Ron grumbled, rolling his eyes. "What makes you think he's going to ship you off? Or are you Trelawny now?"

"He just looks like it," Sirius told him.

"I really doubt he would, Sirius," Hermione chimed in, sitting beside Ron. "He cares about you."

"I'm a bad kid, Hermione," he answered with an edge to his voice. "I'm the one that got you all in trouble for the Fluffy incident, and I rage and do idiotic things like call Snape Snivellus."

"I'm not sure if that was bloody brave or bloody idiotic," Ron told him, a touch of awe in his voice. "But it sure got a reaction out of him."

"It's what we used to call him as kids," Sirius told him. "When we bullied him."

"You're lucky all he did was hang you upside down, mate," Ron breathed. "I'd have thought ye'd be potions for sure."

"And you're not a 'bad kid' Sirius," Hermione told him. "You just have a lot to deal with and are, well, perhaps a bit mischievous. That doesn't mean that you are bad. And Ron and Harry chose to go with you that night, it's their own fault."

"She's right," Harry agreed. "It was your idea, but we could easily have said no. We are each at fault."

"Would you want to be my parent?" he snorted at Hermione, not believing Harry. "See? I probably shouldn't have ever become a kid again."

"I do think that decision wasn't very well thought out," Hermione told him. "But it sounds like you can't go back, so now you have to make due. And yes, Sirius, I would raise you if I were an adult. Table manners notwithstanding, you are not the worst child I could imagine having."

"Ringing endorsement, that," Ron smirked.

"Besides, we want you around for Halloween," Hermione told him briskly. "We have been researching what we learned from Hagrid, and that night might prove fruitful."

"Prove fruitful?" Sirius asked in disbelief. "Are you forty?"

"Well, with Dumbledore putting an age line on the third floor corridor, we're pretty well sunk," Harry told her.

"The twins are working on a plan to get through," Hermione told her. "And this time you three idiots will take me with you. You are lost without the brains of the operation."

…

Lupin waited in his quarters, his stomach clenching in anxiety. He had sent a note reminding his ward that he wanted to see him in his quarters at four, and now it was five minutes after. Were things so bad that Sirius had lost all respect for him? Was there no hope? Would someone else be a better guardian for the boy?

Lupin heard the soft knock on his door, and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. At least the boy would manage to show up.

"Come in," he called, and looked up expectedly.

Sirius came in the room, his expression wary. Lupin noticed with chagrin that the child's hand flinched unconsciously over his backside, and realized that Sirius was trying to gauge the room. Sirius tried putting on his most welcoming smile as he beckoned him over.

"Shall I call for tea?" Remus asked. "Or would you prefer chocolate or pumpkin juice?"

"Tea is fine," Sirius answered, and soon they had a steaming pot and some biscuits in front of them.

Remus nibbled on the biscuit, not sure of how to start. Sirius eyed him back warily.

"It's not a punishment to have tea with me," Remus told him. "I wanted us to have time to spend together every day."

"Then I'm not in trouble?"

"Not at all," Remus answered smoothly. "Unless there's something I don't know about?"

"I'd never admit to it," Sirius answered, flashing his cheeky grin for a moment before becoming somber again.

"I wanted to ask you a question," Remus said gently, putting down his teacup. "Are you happy with me as a guardian? Do you wish it were someone else?"

"I knew it!" Sirius yelled at him, his face becoming scarlet. "I knew it! You want to get rid of me!"

"That's not it at all . . ."

"I've been too much trouble, and now that you found out I'm not your precious Padfoot you're giving me the boot!"

"Calm down!" Remus ordered. "Please, Sirius . . ."

"You're a bloody hypocrite, Remus!"

"I am," Remus answered sadly, looking down at his hands. "You're right, Sirius."

Sirius blinked in surprise at that answer, and looked at his friend more closely. Remus wasn't looking like the belabored parent who wanted to get rid of their child, he looked about to cry.

"I am a hypocrite, you're right," Remus continued. "And I have failed you in so many ways. I wanted you to know if you're done with me as a guardian, that I would help you find someone better."

"I thought you were done with me," Sirius answered honestly, his desire to yell at Remus all but evaporated. "I thought I had caused too much trouble."

"Do you honestly think I agreed to this guardianship on the condition that you would be well behaved?" Remus asked, his lips twitching in spite of himself. "That would have been foolish indeed."

"Then why did you?" Remus asked.

"Well," Remus thought for a moment. "I think I did because of our friendship as children at first. But having you with me, well, it makes me want what I never thought I could have. It makes me want a son."

"Do you want me as a son?" Sirius asked, incredulous.

"I know it's too soon to start talking about adoption," Remus assured the boy, misinterpreting his incredulity. "But I wanted to be honest about it. I have come to realize that I have been parenting you out of a place of fear and self-protection, and I don't want to do that anymore. I want us to build an accord together, with affection and attachment. And I have come to realize that this isn't me becoming the guardian of an old friend, it is really becoming a father."

"I'm not Padfoot any longer," Sirius admitted, looking down.

"What do you mean?" Remus asked, his eyes concerned.

Sirius sighed. "I can't transform anymore. I've tried several times, and I just can't do it."

"That's normal," Remus assured him. "Your magic is far too immature now to do it. Don't worry."

"But I also realized that with you I don't want to be Padfoot anymore," Sirius continued. "I think it was what you were saying, that I don't want to be your friend anymore."

"Would you like to be my son?" Remus asked softly.

"I would," Sirius answered. "But I know that it's hard and complicated. But I want to be with you."

"Then that's settled," Remus told him. "No matter what you do or what you say to me, I am going to be your father. And I think I'm going to stop calling you Padfoot."

"What should I call you?" Sirius asked.

"Maybe not Moony," Remus answered. "Maybe dad someday."

"Someday," Sirius agreed. "I'm not ready yet."

"I understand," Remus answered. "I guess it's Remus then."

"I can do that," Sirius agreed.

"I also wanted to apologize to you how I handled it the last time I disciplined you," Remus told him. "You deserved to be spanked, but you did not deserve my half-hearted approach to it. I didn't engage your emotions or mine, which is not how a father should discipline his son."

"I did deserve to be spanked," Sirius agreed. "But it was so hard that you didn't listen to me."

"I'm sorry," Remus told him. "I promise I will never spank you until you feel like I've listened to you."

Sirius nodded, unexpected tears prickling his eyes. How had Remus known what he most wanted to hear?

"Would you like a hug?" Remus asked softly. "I mean, if you don't, I would understand . . ."

Remus stopped talking as he suddenly had his lap full of adolescent boy. He pulled the child tightly to his chest, letting himself relax into the hug and smelling his hair. It really did feel good to have the boy in his arms, and he felt his eyes sting unexpectedly.

"I know one conversation and one hug doesn't fix our issues," Remus told him, stroking his hair fondly. "But let's see this as a new beginning, shall we? I will endeavor to be the best father I can, and we shall be patient with each other. Alright?"

Remus felt Sirius nod into his chest, and pulled him even tighter.


	10. Chapter 10 - Apology

_AN: My thanks to Gustavia for the discussion of some of the various motivations for some of these characters, and for her distinguishing between a political apology and a real one. I also wanted to thank_ _t42n24t2_ _for suggesting Dumbledore apologize to Severus. I had that scene in my head as a backstory, and I realized it would be helpful for me to not assume readers can read my mind. :)_

 _I also wanted to add that this chapter was very difficult to write - Severus really didn't want to apologize and I rewrote it about four times before events transpired in what I felt was a believable way. I also wanted to promise that this is enough of the emoting for a while - we'll get back to some action in the next chapter. But, I felt like this was the groundwork I had to lay before I could build the action. Oh, and just to assure people who've asked - I will not stop writing. Real life has just made it so I can't update every day._

* * *

Snape found himself agitated with his morning classes, and ended up reducing several second year students to tears when he gave them detentions and zero credit for their abysmal potions, and the rest of the classes just cringed and tried not to irritate them.

 _Good survival instincts_ , he found himself thinking.

He had to get a handle on the situation he was in with Sirius and with Dumbledore, and he found himself just getting angry and having trouble concentrating. If he had totally disagreed with Dumbledore, he would have just done an apology that was more politic, of the "I'm sorry if you were offended and I owe you an apology" sort of variety. But the truth was that he knew Dumbledore was right, he was wrong and it was just that he apologize. He just couldn't bring himself to do it.

He went to his room for lunch, realizing he wanted to talk about his problem but not knowing who to talk to. Not the werewolf, he had his own problems. Not Dumbledore either, obviously. Suddenly he knew who he wanted to talk to, but he wondered if she was free. He went to the floo, and called her.

"Do you have a moment? Or perhaps to join me for lunch?" he asked her.

"Of course," Fiona answered. "I'll come through."

She came through, still wearing her nursing uniform, and brushing her skirts off. "What a pleasant surprise, Severus."

"I'm glad you were available," he told her formally. "Would you like to have a seat?"

She sat, and allowed him to order their lunches from a house elf. She was halfway through her salad and polite talk when she finally put down her form and levelled at Snape. "Ye are normally verra considerate tae secure plans with me days in advance," she told him. "Why the spontaneous lunch invitation today?"

"I have a problem," Snape admitted. "I wanted to talk about it with you. Would you mind?"

"Not a' all," she replied, smiling softly. "It is good toe ken ye value my opinion. What is th' problem?"

And then Snape poured out everything, what he had been thinking and doing and feeling. He found it remarkably easy to speak to Fiona, she understood. They had of course talked before about many things, but he had never spoken of his guilt, that he had done something wrong, and about his complicated relationship with Dumbledore before. He even admitted to the threat of the strap - though he had blushed and stammered when he said it. Fiona had nodded and barely blinked at that revelation, and did not shame him for it.

"But how can Dumbledore ask ye tae apologize when he does no do it himself?" she asked incredulously. "He has done ye more harm surely than ye have done the lad."

"He has apologized," Snape admitted. "Three different times, each time when he realized the depth of his harm to me. First, for not protecting me from the Marauders in school. Secondly, for not investigating suspicions that would have led me to have been removed from my father's custody. And thirdly, for not being able to save Lily and James. Although, I concede the third thing was not really his wrongdoing."

"How did ye feel when he apologized?"

"Mollified," Snape answered. "Vindicated in a way. It felt good to have him, the man in authority over me, to acknowledge the harm he'd done. Or the harm that happened from what he didn't do."

"Did he make excuses? Or be politic about it?"

"No," Snape admitted. "He was just honest and vulnerable. He even cried a little when he apologized for the Marauders; he realized how much he had hurt me with that and made it clear that he deeply regretted the harm he'd caused. He said that there were few things in his life he regretted as deeply."

"He sounds like he cares about ye," she said softly.

"He does," Snape admitted, realizing how hard that was for him to believe for so many years.

"I do no think that Dumbledore wishes to discipline ye," she told him seriously. "Would you really prefer that form of censure than to apologize for what ye kent was wrong?"

"I would," he admitted. "Pain means very little next to humiliation. But I would also still feel guilty. I mean, he's a child, Fiona. But at that moment when I hexed him I was a child too - the child he tormented. And in watching it through Remus' eyes, I recognized how much I had scared Sirius, and how . . . inappropriate my actions were."

"I dinna envy ye yer choices," she told him. "It is no easy tae acknowledge yer imperfections to someone you view as an enemy and tormenter. But it is no easy tae disappoint yer father either. And if ye do no apologize, ye will still feel guilty yerself."

"You think I should apologize," he told her.

"I do," she answered. "But it is worthless if you do no mean it. So yes, I think ye should apologize, but ye need tae be t' right place tae do it. And I do no think ye are there yet."

"You are a wise woman, Fi," he told her softly, taking her hand in his. "Thank you for helping me with this."

"Yer welcome," she dimpled in reply. "And thank ye for lunch."

...

That night, Snape assigned scrubbing cauldrons to the miscreants without so much as a glance at them. He had to admit it was a very non-creative punishment, but his mind was in too much turmoil to be truly creative about their punishment. Hopefully he would be able to come up with something better the last day of their detention. Today he was far too distracted, and trying to carefully craft what he was going to say to Dumbledore that night.

Snape had just decided that he would borrow Fiona's line about him not being in the right place yet to apologize - clearly implying that he was working on getting to that place - when his sharp ears caught the conversation between Harry and Sirius.

"Silence," he told them, menacing. "This is a detention, not a party."

"And you would know all about parties, Snivellus," Sirius retorted. "Having attended so many yourself."

Harry and Ron looked at Sirius in shock, hardly believing he would practically force Snape to punish him further over something so stupid. Was he truly mental?

"Potter, Weasley, you may leave us," Snape told them, his voice dark and dangerous.

Harry looked at Sirius and then at his father, clearly scared to leave them alone together.

"Now, Potter," Snape insisted, causing Ron to start tugging on his arm. "Unless you'd like to partake in the punishment I intend to mete out to your classmate."

"Just don't kill him," Harry told him, allowing Ron to begin to drag him out of the room. "I still want you as my father, not holed away in Azkaban for murder."

"I will endeavor to keep my actions legal," Snape replied, the child's humor disarming him a bit. "But I do intend to make him regret his words."

The two boys left, and SIrius felt Snape's glare on him, though he didn't look up. He wasn't sure why he had called the man that name, it would have been an easy enough to never say that word again. And he knew how offended his Godfather was by that word - why had he done it? He squirmed a bit now in fear, knowing what Snape had promised him last time this happened.

"Why did you so foolishly use that name to me?" Snape asked, his voice soft and menacing. "Surely you knew what the consequence would be."

"I did," Sirius squirmed. "I don't know why I did it."

"Even if you did not understand your own motivation, I believe that I had made the consequences to such actions sufficiently clear?"

Sirius paled and then darted towards the door. With a quick wave the door was locked, and Snape slowly went around to his desk and got his chair out from behind it, placing it in the center of the room with menace. He sat upon the chair with a flurry of his robes, and then fixed his gimlet eye on the small boy across the room.

"Come here and receive your due, Mr. Black," he ordered.

Sirius paled and froze, not looking Snape in the face but keeping his eyes firmly fixed on his lap. He gulped in fear, and found his legs twitching in desire to run away.

"If you fail to obey my instructions I will use the ruler," Snape told him calmly. "I will not tell you again to come here."

Sirius shook his head in fear, and gulped. He could not imagine putting himself over the lap of his childhood enemy, but here he was having to do it.

"I would rather bend over the table," he said, nibbling his lips.

"I'm sure you would," Snape replied silkily. "But I do not consent to it. The position of being over my knee is part of the punishment, it is designed to make you feel vulnerable. Come now, you know you deserve this."

"What if I promise never to use that word again?" Sirius asked, shaking his head.

"I would hope that you would," Snape answered him. "That would be the point of disciplining you; I want to make it very clear that you cannot be that disrespectful towards me. But such a promise does not change your consequence."

Sirius squirmed, all sorts of accusations coming to his mind. But he knew better than to give them his mouth, or he would be in even more trouble. He also knew instinctively that Snape would be impossible to placate, and that he was once again powerless before a much more powerful wizard. He itched to draw his wand, but was able to force himself not to. His stomach clenched in fear, but he knew he was trapped. And if he had to acquiesce, it was better to do it before the ruler was involved.

"I'm waiting," Snape told him sternly.

Sirius gulped down his fear, and willed his feet to walk over to Sirius. He felt as if his body was moving on its own as he stood beside the man's lap and waited to be pulled over it. Snape did not touch him, but they both waited. Sirius trembled a little, knowing that Snape would make this as painful as possible.

"Are you sorry for what you did?" Snape asked calmly, no trace of sarcasm in his voice.

"I am," Sirius admitted, tears beginning to prickle his eyes. "So sorry."

"Do you promise never to use that name again?"

"I promise," Sirius answered truthfully. He really didn't know why he had used it, and he certainly did not want to again if this was the result. "I don't know why I did it, sir. The time before I was mad and wanted to hurt you. This time it sort of just happened without me meaning it to happen."

"Did you perhaps want to evoke a reaction from me?" Snape asked smoothly.

"Maybe," he admitted miserably. "I hated having that threat over me. It's almost a relief to finally happen."

"Did you think me weak? Or a liar that I would threaten what I wouldn't carry out?"

"No, sir," Sirius answered, sniffing and trying to stop the tears from falling. Why was he crying with Snape of all people? And before he'd even gotten the first smack? This was the time he'd like to appear strong, and the tears made him feel weak. But yet, he couldn't stop them. "You were never weak, not even as a child," he choked out. "And now you're pretty scary."

Snape looked at the small boy in front of him and for the first time didn't see his childhood enemy, but instead he saw Harry. Though this boy didn't have the obvious marks of abuse that Harry had had, he was just as damaged as the boy he loved. He realized that he did not have the heart to do this.

Sirius waited for the spanking to start, wincing and tensing his muscles. He knew it would be hard, and he would likely not be able to sit down tomorrow. But instead of feeling hate towards the man who owned the lap he was about to lay upon, he felt remorse. What right had he had to use that word to him? The tears which were small trickles before now began to flood, and Sirius began to sob. With all the confusion and difficulties of his relationship with Remus, he just couldn't handle one more thing. And he also cried in knowing that his worst enemy had him under his power and with severe provocation, and was really only going to smack his bottom like an errant toddler. This was not the fiery revenge that he would have anticipated; Snape of old would be pinning his ears to the ceiling or humiliating him publicly.

"Hold still, now," Snape told the boy, gasping his shoulder and turning him.

Sirius took that as confirmation his punishment would commence, and gritted his teeth. Snape's hand smacked against his backside gently, enough for Sirius to have felt the pat but not enough to hurt at all.

"Let that be a lesson to you," Snape told him gently.

"What?" Sirius gasped in surprise. "But you didn't . . ."

"Come, child, we have much to discuss," he told Sirius, grasping his shoulder gently. "Would you like tea?"

"No thank you," he answered, completely flummoxed. "But why . . ."

Severus took a deep breath, trying to find the words to explain his actions. "I promised you that you would feel my hand on your backside if you used that word again," Snape told him. "And your guardian granted me permission as well. So by all rights your backside should be quite sore right now. But I have decided instead to have mercy on you, though you notice that I still kept my promise."

"Why?" Sirius asked, confused. "I don't understand."

"You reminded me of Harry," he answered simply, deciding not to dissemble. "I guess that my affection for him has clouded my judgement on you. Or maybe I have begun to see you for the first time as a scared and confused eleven year old boy, and decided you needed no further discipline."

"Oh," he answered, not sure of what to say.

"And hearing that you were truly sorry for what you had done, I had pity on you," Snape told him levelly. "I have also decided that I will not spank you in the future. Really, it should be Remus or perhaps McGonagall who discipline you in that way. If I find the need to discipline you beyond lines or detention, I will apply to Remus for him to mete out justice as he sees fit. I am choosing for it not to be my place."

"Thank you," Sirius answered, touched by his old nemesis' declaration. He wasn't sure he would be this gracious in these circumstances.

"Now, for the last thing I wanted to talk to you about," Snape told him seriously, taking a steadying breath to be able to say what he now knew he needed to say. "I wanted to talk about that night that I hexed you. I have felt . . . regret since that night, and I recognize that my hexing you was an act of bullying; of a much stronger wizard intentionally scaring and humiliating a much weaker one. That word created a . . . reaction in me that made me feel the same age as you, and hexing you felt righteous and just. But upon reflection I see how inappropriate it was for me to do such a thing, and I have come to deeply regret my actions towards you. I ask you to forgive me for behaving such towards you."

"I forgive you," Sirius answered in a daze. Had Severus Snape really just apologized to him? Gave him a pat instead of the hard spanking he'd promised? Recognized and regretted an act of bullying that seemed far less severe than the abuse he'd done towards Snape? Sirius didn't know what to think.

"Thank you," Snape answered seriously, nodding his head. "Then let's consider this matter closed between us."

Snape felt like he should give the boy a hug, as he would have done with Harry, but he found himself unable to initiate it. This was still Sirius Black, and though he had softened considerably on this day he didn't have any more flex to give.

"Thank you," Sirius told him, looking down. "I know you didn't have to be this good about things, and I know that you were provoked when you hexed me. I'm sorry I provoked you."

"Forgiven," Snape answered solemnly. "We will find a way forward, you and I. We may never be the best of friends, but considering that most of the people most important in both our lives are held in common, we need to find some way to work together. Let us work on that together."

"I agree," Sirius answered, thinking of Remus, Harry and Dumbledore. "But don't you have a girlfriend?

"Don't be cheeky," Snape smirked at him. "Now go and find some of those people before they think I've beaten you before chopping you up for potion ingredients."

"I will," Sirius smiled, picking up his robe. "Though I don't think anybody is going to believe me."

"I don't know to what you are referring," Snape answered dryly.


	11. Chapter 11 - Planning

_AN: It makes me sad that I can't reply to anonymous reviewers by private message, but I just wanted to say how much I appreciate the kind words, constructive criticism, and suggestions given to me by everyone, including the anonymous reviewers. Shoutout to_ _quinipissa479_ _for the "romancing the halls" comment. :) It was too funny to not incorporate._

* * *

"I can't believe you're still alive, mate," Ron told Sirius as they sat for breakfast the next day. "And sitting down, too."

"He didn't wallop me," Sirius told him.

"Which hex, then?" Ron pressed.

"No hex," Sirius laughed. "Seriously!"

"My father does not go back on his word," Harry looked at him suspiciously. "He promised he'd whack you."

"He gave me a soft pat to keep his word," Sirius explained. "Seriously."

"Then what happened?" Hermione asked.

"Well he got all strict and stern, and made like he was going to spank me good," Sirius explained. "He called me over to him, gave me a lecture, and then instead of whacking me he just patted my backside."

"Why did he do that?"

"Well, he promised I'd feel his hand on my backside, so he didn't want to go back on his word," Sirius replied, smirking. "But he said he would grant me mercy. He said I reminded him of Harry."

"He has no problem spanking me," Harry smirked. "And mercy for me means a few swats knocked off. How did you get off entirely?"

"I was sorry," Sirius answered ruefully. "And the thing is, I really was. I have no idea why I said that to him again."

"Taking your life into your own hands, that," Ron nodded. "But blimey, Sirius, how did you get off? Snape's the strictest teacher at Hogwarts, and he hates you too!"

"I think he was sorry too," Sirius answered quietly, looking at his food. "He apologized for hexing me."

The others looked at him, aghast, but Harry nodded. "I knew he would," Harry answered. "He does the right thing. He's apologized to me too."

"It's the end times!" Ron laughed. "Surely the apocalypse is upon us!"

"Although it is difficult to imagine Professor Snape apologizing," Hermione briskly told them. "I do not see it as a sign of the apocalypse. Perhaps we should talk about more relevant things, as Halloween is close."

"Have the twins gotten past the age barrier yet?" Harry asked Ron, and Ron shook his head.

"Yesterday they tried an aging potion that made them both look like they were ninety, and still that didn't work."

"Dumbledore's smarter than that," Hermione rolled her eyes. "But there has to be a way through."

"Why are we so all-fired excited to get through, anyway?" Ron asked, his face slightly pale. "I'm not sure I want to see that dog again."

"Because he's hiding something," Harry told him. "And I want to find out what it is."

"We might have to involve Draco," Hermione told them, not looking up.

"Why Draco?" Harry asked, surprised. Sure, he had been great when they were all in preschool together, and he was really quite useful with the volcano plot. But after the sorting he had become more - distant. Everybody seemed to be sticking with their assigned house.

Hermione shrugged. "He's good at this kind of thing. We should research, though, and then get back together."

"There's one other thing that I want to work on," Harry told them, his face becoming more troubled. "My scar is hurting more and more, but especially in Quirrell's class."

"What does your dad say?" Ron asked, concerned.

"I've mentioned it to him, but I feel sort of silly," Harry told them. "It feels like I'm a baby or something. Anyway, I'd like to make a plan about that too."

"Makes sense," Sirius answered, understanding. He hadn't let anybody know about his dreams of Bella.

"What plan would that be?" Hermione asked, perplexed.

"I want to see what's under his turban," Harry told them his voice even. He knew what he was suggesting sounded more like a prank, but he was deadly serious.

"He never takes it off, Harry," Ron told him. "I'll bet he even uses a sticking charm. That's not going to be easy."

"I know that," Harry told him. "But I just feel it. I want to see under his turban."

"He only started wearing it this year," Hermione mused. "Maybe we should find out more about where he was this past year."

"Fred and George might have some ideas, too," Ron said, thinking. "They are good at pranks, and this feels like a prank."

"This will take a very specialized attack," Sirius told him. "It would have to be as well planned as the volcano. And doing a prank might be a good cover for it."

"Then let's plan," Harry told them.

"Are you sure, Harry?" Hermione asked him. "I mean, we're planning two things that are likely to get us all in a lot of trouble. Should we just take one at a time?"

"We will enact one at a time," Harry decided. "But let's plan for both. And I'll see if Draco wants to help."

"Remus was always good at this sort of thing," Sirius mused. "It's too bad he's a guardian now."

"I intend to ask Snape for help," Harry told him. "It's all in how you do it. He gave us polyjuice for a plot one time."

"Snape helped with a plot?" Sirius asked, incredulous. "Didn't he just punish you for the thing with Fluffy?"

"That's because I didn't tell him," Harry grinned ruefully. "And put myself at risk. If I had planned and executed a good plot, with him helping me, I never would have gotten in trouble. Look what we did with the volcano last spring! And there's been others as well."

"So how do you talk to him, then?" Sirius asked.

Harry thought for a minute, and then said, "I will often say that I have a hypothetical situation where I need his help. I listen to his advice, and take whatever safety precaution he wants me to do."

"Do you think that would work with Remus?" Sirius asked.

"It might," Harry shrugged. "I think with my dad he wants me to be able to think and to plot, and he knows that bad guys are going to be coming for me at some point, so he wants me prepared. So he'd rather I learned going up against Lucius Malfoy than Voldemort. He's trying to teach me how to think. Of course, any consequences I get from the school I have to deal with.

"That actually makes sense," Sirius agreed.

"Then I know he's going to ask how we're planning on dealing with Fluffy once we are past the line," Harry said. "So we need to get on that too."

"And we have to get by Filch, who's always romancing the halls at night."

"Don't you mean roaming the halls?" Hermione asked, laughing.

"No, I mean romancing," Ron laughed. "I think he takes that kind o' pleasure in his work."

...

Sirius thought about what Harry had said, and decided to see if that really would work on his guardian. Would Remus forbid him?

That night after dinner Sirius went to Remus' quarters. He only had a half hour until he was due in detention, but Remus still wanted him to check in.

"I ordered tea and biscuits," Remus welcomed the boy into his quarters. "I got the ginger ones you like."

"Thanks," Sirius answered absently, nodding.

"White with two lumps?" Remus asked.

Sirius nodded again, still distracted. But the ritual of tea calmed him. He recalled having tea with his mother sometimes, and it was one of the few times he was able to speak with his mother. She had expected good manners of course, and he found himself holding his cup properly without even thinking about it. His mother had been the better of his two parents; at least she had rarely hit him. But he hadn't known safety and love until he had known his friends at school. Until he had known Remus. He realized that he knew as little about what a father was supposed to be as Remus probably did.

"Harry told me I should ask you about a . . . hypothetical situation," Sirius asked, taking a deep breath.

"What situation is that?" Remus asked, smirking into his tea.

"Harry says that as long as he does things that are planned and he keeps himself safe and he lets Snape know that he doesn't get in trouble."

"That sounds reasonable," Remus answered. "What did you have in mind?"

"He says that Snape even helps him sometimes."

"Are you going to tell me or not?" Remus asked, exasperated.

"Hypothetically speaking," Sirius told him, taking a breath to calm himself from the anxiety of actually telling an adult that he was planning to break a rule. "How would one cross the age line?"

"I see," Remus smiled, sipping his tea. "That would be very tricky, especially as it was Dumbledore who did it. He's a very powerful wizard, and it would be unlikely to be fooled by any of the obvious means, such as an ageing potion."

"So how would you do it?" Sirius asked.

"First, I would be sure I knew how to handle what was on the other side," Remus told him firmly. "You would need to prepare for what you know is there, and for what you think might be."

"Okay, but then what?"

"You would have to choose a night where most people will be nowhere near," Remus explained. "And you would have to think about what the limits of the age line are."

"What do you mean, limits?"

"Every spell has limits, Sirius," Remus told him. "You have to think about what they are. You will never be able to just cross the line, that won't help. You need to go beyond the limits."

"I don't know what you mean," Sirius told him, scrunching his face.

"That gives you something good to think about, then," Remus told him, smirking. "It's all about planning and seeing boundaries. That's true about most of life."

"So what are the boundaries of the spell?" Sirius asked.

"I'm going to let you think about that," Remus told him. "I believe that Severus helps Harry, not tells him what to do. I've given you enough information to be able to think about it too. And we can talk about it more tomorrow as well."

"Then there's one more hypothetical situation," Sirius told him. "What if we were to play sort of a prank on a teacher."

"Please not Professor Snape," Remus told him, rolling his eyes. "Promise me that."

"Not Snape," Sirius assured him. "And it's not a prank for fun, it's a prank for a reason. It's personal with Harry."

"Let me tell you what I think we should do," Remus told him, thinking. "Let me try to relieve some anxiety for you. I will not punish you for anything that happens at school unless I get a note home. And I won't spank you for anything except for putting yourself or others in danger, lying or direct disobedience. Does that help?"

"That helps," Sirius agreed. "And that sounds fair."

"And let me know if I can be of help with either of your plans," Remus told him. "I agree with Severus, teaching you children how to plan and execute those plans properly is going to be helpful to you as you grow and face dangers."

"So you do want me to tell you these things?" Sirius asked, feeling incredulous. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to have a guardian he could talk to about everything, even breaking the rules.

"Of course," Remus smiled. "Oh, look at the time. I don't want you to be late for Severus."

"Of course," Sirius answered, finishing his tea and grabbing a few extra of the biscuits.

"I hope he goes easy on you," Remus smiled at him.

"He won't," Sirius sighed philosophically. "But it is our last one, so at least it will be over soon."


	12. Chapter 12 - The Dream

_AN: I am so sorry that I haven't posted for a while. Let's just say a project in my real life took up every speck of time I had, much to my unhappiness. It's not even a fun project. :( I am also going to be travelling for the next several weeks, so I don't know how much I'm going to be able to post until after Sept. 6 - we'll see. I hope at least a few chapters. I did want to assure readers that I won't quit writing this story, this is just a season of my year where I have to do other things. Once my life calms down in September hopefully I can regain my every other day updates._

Halloween was decided as the goal to cross the age line. It was about a week away, which felt like enough time to develop a good plan. People would be distracted on that night, making it easier as well. Fred and George had done some initial forays into the turban idea, and found indeed that Quirrell had a sticking charm on it. So, it was quickly decided that the age line issue would be the first tackled.

"So Remus said to think about the boundaries," Sirius told them. "I don't really know what he means."

"Snape said to think outside the box," Harry confirmed. "I hate it when they don't just give us the answer."

"What are the boundaries on the spell?" Sirius asked.

"We need to have a look," Harry confirmed. "See if we're able to get over it or something."

"I don't think it would be that easy," Ron told him. "This is Dumbledore, you know."

"We shall have to see," Harry conceded.

"Let's go before curfew this time," Sirius smiled ruefully. "It's not worth the wrath of the fathers to try and sneak out after."

"How about before breakfast tomorrow?" Harry asked. "That's not a time that there's a lot of people around, and it's less suspicious than late at night."

"Sounds good," Hermione nodded. "Before breakfast it is. Meet everyone there."

Sirius nodded, agreeing, and finding himself hoping that it would not be a problem for his guardian. Shrugging off the feeling that he cared what his guardian thought, he made his way to his bed. Soon he found himself drifting off to sleep, ignoring the burping and shuffling coming from his dorm-mates.

As Sirius drifted off to sleep, he found himself slipping out into the forbidden forest, and he realized that in his dream he was Padfoot. He ran in the night - Merlin how he'd missed this! He could smell the night air, and the intoxicating scent of animals all around him. He could smell the trail of rodents and bunnies that had scurried past in the past few hours, as well as the traps the acromantulas had set up and the fresh Unicorn spoor a few hundred feet away. He found himself debating rolling in the Unicorn droppings when he caught another scent - a scent that was familiar.

Padfoot, angered, threw himself towards that scent. He would find that person and rip her apart! Where was she? He swiftly ran through the forest, dodging fallen branches, chasing that scent. He heard a tinkling of laughter in front of him, and he ran even faster. Soon branches were whipping by his face in his efforts, and he felt as if his paws were barely touching the forest floor.

"Come and get me!" the girl called out, and Padfoot growled in response. He would catch her!

Suddenly, he found himself stumbling into a clearing and he saw the girl standing in the middle of the clearing with her opaque robes billowing out as if she were a fairy queen. He looked at her face, however, and saw the same Bellatrix LeStrange that he had always known. Her face looked ageless - it had the innocence of a child as well as the beauty of a woman. He stared at her, transfixed.

"Are you still going to attack me, Cousin?" she asked, her voice soft and rippling.

Padfoot found that he could not respond, but did find himself drawing inexplicably nearer to her. He found his tail wagging as he approached her in a sign of friendship.

"Does the great Padfoot agree to let me live?" she laughed, a merry sound that carried. "Come here, cousin, and I'll scratch your ears."

Normally Padfoot couldn't talk, but suddenly he found his voice. "Why are you here?" he asked her softly, not challenging. This was not a fight for territory, but a friendly interaction.

"I am here for you, of course," she laughed. "I am here to tell you what you most want to know."

"What is that?" Padfoot asked, enthralled.

"The truth about your friends," she answered, her face suddenly grave and compassionate. "I am so sorry to have to tell you the bad news."

"What bad news?" he asked, smiling and moving closer.

"Your bosom friend, Harry Potter, is actually a betrayer," she told him. "I am so sorry, you poor thing. You have trusted him, and he caused the downfall of your family. He killed your mother."

Padfoot, feeling outrage build in him, moved closer. "He killed my mother?"

"Yes," Bella told him. "Ask him yourself to have the truth of it. He hit a frail old lady with a blasting curse, and it killed her."

Padfoot felt the outrage, and then pictured Harry. Suddenly, his stomach snapped and he said, "But what did she do to him? I think he said she kidnapped him?"

Bella laughed. "How could such a frail old woman kidnap the boy who lived?"

Padfoot, feeling confused, felt a strong draw towards to woman with the gossamer robes. Surely someone so beautiful would only tell the truth?

"Then why would Harry hurt her?" Padfoot asked, feeling confused. "Harry is not a bad person."

"He has fooled you," she told him gently, compassionately. "He lies to you. He has drawn you in."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because he wants to destroy the house of Black," she replied. "And you are our last hope to save it."

"I don't know what to do," he protested, a dog's whine rising in his nose.

"You will know when the time comes," Bella tells him. "But for now watch and tell me what you see."

"Do you want to hurt Harry?" he asked, suddenly feeling suspicious.

"Of course not," her laugh tinkled like a chime. "Why would I want to hurt him? No, I just want to keep my family safe."

"Alright then," Padfoot answered.

"I will come back again," she told him.

"Wait!" Padfoot called to her as she turned around. There was something he had been desperate about knowing - what was it? "How do you get through an age line?"

"Silly boy," she laughed again, looking back at him with sparkling eyes. "You don't go through, you go around. Find the boundaries and go around them. From above or below is usually your best option."

"Thank you!" he called out as she turned to go. "We couldn't figure it out."

"Just let me know what you find on the other side," she laughed at him. "It will be like a game with the two of us."

"A game," he repeated, enraptured. "You will see me again?"

"Of course," she answered, her body starting to float away. "Of course, cousin. You may count on it."

He watched her go, breathing in the night air, and then found himself falling into his own body. With a thump, he awoke in the night, his breathing rapid and sweat beading on his brow. What happened?

"You alright?" Neville grumbled at him, barely waking.

"Fine," he answered, clearly shaken. "Just fine. Go back to sleep."

Sirius shivered, but knew that he couldn't go back to sleep. He couldn't find himself looking at Harry either, it was as if he couldn't shake off the warning that Bella gave him. He found himself slipping out of his bed, pulling on his robes and his slippers, and walking out of the dorm room. He just needed somewhere he could go to think. He walked to the boys' toilet, thinking that an easy destination to explain in the middle of the night, but he knew that wasn't really his destination. He sat in the common room, staring at the fire, wondering if he dared to go look at the age line now. Glancing at the clock, he realized he would go in a few hours anyway, so it wasn't worth getting in trouble over. He sighed.

"Can't sleep either?" he heard a voice ask him, coming from the fireplace.

Recognizing his guardian's voice, his eyes narrow. "How did you know I was awake?" he demanded suspiciously.

"I'll be right there and explain," Remus told him.

Sirius waited suspiciously, but by the time Remus got there he was actually curled up under a blanket enjoying the fire.

"I have you marked on the marauder's map," Remus confessed. "After the last nighttime antics, I thought it would be wise. It would have alarmed if you'd left the tower. I was awake anyway, and when I realized you were staying in the common room, I decided to come and see if you were okay."

"I'm fine," he shrugged, staring at the fire. "I had a weird dream."

"Must have scared you," Remus told him, leaning back himself. "I've never seen a dream affect you like this."

"It was weird," he told Remus. "I'm just not sure what to make of it."

"What was it about?"

Sirius wanted to tell him, he really did, but he felt compelled not to. It was as if his mouth was physically closed. He squirmed against the restriction, but couldn't get it out.

"What's wrong Sirius?" Remus asked him, looking at him in concern. "Are you alright?"

Sirius continued to struggle, and now found that he couldn't say anything. He saw Remus floo call, and soon he saw Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall looking down at him.

"I just asked him about his dream, and he suddenly couldn't speak," Remus explained. "Sorry to wake you all."

Dumbledore withdrew his wand and waved it gently over SIrius' mouth, and then frowned at the resulting silvery vapor.

"It's a compelling charm, and not very subtlety done," Dumbledore told them. "If I had done it he would have appeared normal, just not be able to speak about certain things."

"Why is it on him?" Remus asked. "He hasn't been anywhere."

"It would have been done in his sleep," Dumbledore told him. "Sirius, do you understand what I'm saying?"

Sirius nodded, still struggling.

"Would you like me to remove it?" Dumbledore asked gently. "It won't hurt."

Sirius nodded furiously, and felt relief as Dumbledore lifted his wand. The powerful wizard could lift this off of him quickly!

"Will he be alright?" Remus fretted, wringing his hands with anxiety. "How could this have happened to him?"

"He'll be fine," McGonagall comforted him, patting his shoulder. "Albus can handle this."

"The question is more who could have done this," Snape commented, narrowing his eyes. "Unless it was a Gryffindor student, I believe our security has been breached."

"Hush while I do this," Dumbledore told them, and then closed his eyes. He waved his wand in a soft dance of a pattern, and a silvery mist started coming off of Sirius' mouth and was sucked into Dumbledore's wand.

"There, there, child," Dumbledore assured Sirius, patting his shoulder. "Breath in now, gently. Can you talk?"

"Remus?" his voice cracked. Horrified, he realized how close to sobbing he really was.

"Sirius!" Remus answered, pulling the boy into his arms roughly, and then holding him at arm's length to inspect him. "Are you alright? Can you talk?"

"I can talk," he answered, stilted.

"What was that dream about?" Remus demanded. "Whatever it was, someone didn't want us to know."

"It was about Bella," Sirius answered, feeling the last wisps of the compelling charm protest. Then, suddenly, he remembered the dream more clearly. "It was awful!" he exploded. "She was lying to me! She said that Harry was a liar, and that he killed my mother in order to wipe out the Black family."

"Harry and I did kill your mother," Snape told him smoothly. "We told you about that."

"But in the dream everything was twisted," Sirius told them. "I believed her, I . . . well, I worshipped her. I had never seen someone as beautiful and pure."

"Bella?" Snape scoffed.

"It was strange," Sirius admitted, feeling foolish. "But I believed it. I believed her."

"That is some strange magic," Albus told him. "Bella is at Azkaban and should be unable to cast in this manner; there must be someone closer who is doing this."

"And someone lacking subtlety in compelling charms," Snape agreed. "And someone who has access to Gryffindor tower."

"It could have been cast at lunchtime, or anytime," Dumbledore corrected him. "It just took effect in his sleep."

"That narrows it down," Remus quipped, then sighed. "How do we find out who this is?"

"I believe we need to visit Azkaban," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "Severus, I believe we may need your services."


	13. Chapter 13 - Azkaban

_AN: I am back! It feels so good to be writing and posting again. I loved my holiday, it was such a good time with the family and it's always good to be out of your head and in a different space for a while. I have written a few chapters during my vacation, so I'll update as I edit._

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Severus did not like going to Azkaban. It always reminded him how close he had come to being an inmate himself, and he shuddered to think of his fate had he been imprisoned there. The time he had gone to interview Sirius Black has unnerved him, and he had thought himself extremely unlikely to ever go back. But back he must go, and this time to interview a woman he had always hated and even somewhat feared, Bellatrix LeStrange.

Bellatrix wasn't frightening because of her powers, Snape reasoned as he prepared himself to go. Snape himself was easily more powerful than she was most of the time. But it was the craziness that was frightening - she wouldn't hesitate to do anything she thought would please her Dark Lord. Her loyalty to him was unquestioning and unwavering - and that made her dangerous. She was completely incorruptible in her corruption - with very little thought to self-preservation. She was the dark equivalent of a holy crusader - and a completely mad one at that. And crusaders were always the most dangerous.

Snape mentally prepared himself for Azkaban, strengthening his occlumency shields against the Dementors and against Bella - he would have to play a dangerous game with her. She would not believe him - she always had a deep distrust of him - but he could work with that disbelief. Right now she was the best lead they had on a potential threat to Sirius - whom of course he would protect; but the real motivation came because of the potential threat to Harry. He could do this.

Snape found himself sweeping down the hallways of Azkaban once again, being led in the direction of Bella's chamber. He was being led by one of the few human guards at Azkaban, which were rotated off the island in shifts so as to not endanger their sanity. This guard seemed to the end of his shift.

"She's barmy, ye know?" the guard told Snape as they made their way there. "We had to put her in a muggle straight jacket last year because she kept attacking."

"I see," Snape answered, noncommittally. "I hope she did not injure anybody."

"She bit a hunk of skin off Jackson's ear," the guard cackled with an empty sound. "Right off! Like she wanted to eat him! Crazy cannibal."

"Indeed," Snape inclined his head, hoping her chamber was soon.

"She is bound, but she still has her teeth free," the guard told him. "Keep your ears away from the witch."

"I appreciate your advice," Snape answered soberly. "I shall protect my ears."

"See that you do," he nodded soberly. "Here she is, crazy witch."

"You left your wand at the front desk, yeah?" the man asked.

"I did," Snape answered. He didn't worry, he could cast several spells wandlessly, and he should be more than a match for a mad, half-starved Bella in a straight jacket. At least he hoped he was.

"I will knock when yer time's up," the guard told him. "I will be nearby, holler if you end up in trouble."

Snape, nodding to the man, entered the chamber that held the woman. His face remained impassive even as the smell of human disease and excrement met his nose, and his eyes focused on the small pile of bony human in the corner of the room.

"Really, Bella," he told her. "You're helpless without a house elf."

"I must finally be mad!" she cackled from her corner. "The great and mighty Severus Snape has taken time off from his blasphemous existence to pay me a visit. Surely this has not come to pass."

"Indeed, it it I," he told her, inclining his head. "Greetings, Bellatrix."

"I know why you're here, so there's no good trying to get to me," she answered. "I will not give you the answers you seek, traitor."

"You bandy about that word with very little thought of the consequences," he told her, his eyes narrowing. "What makes you think I'm a traitor?"

"You are raising and protecting the Boy Who Lived!" Bella screeched at him. "I hear you have actually adopted him! The Dark Lord will see this as the very rankest of betrayals."

"That is merely your opinion," Snape replied, keeping his voice cool. "I am of a different one. I believe that the Dark Lord will reward my perseverance and my ability to deliver the boy to him when he is ready."

"I think you are conveniently playing both sides," she accused, her eyes narrow. "I have never trusted you. And you seem overly familiar with Dumbledore."

"That was my job, woman," he growled, rolling his eyes. "I was a spy. The Dark Lord ordered it."

"I think you're seeing which sides wins," she accused. "But even I cannot believe that you have stooped to adopt Potter's spawn."

"I have made that choice," Snape nodded his head gravely. "And nobody is the wiser for my true loyalties."

"Do you give him cuddles? Read him bedtime stories?"

"Of course," he answered with dripping sarcasm. "And I even tell the son of my sworn enemy that I love him."

Bella guffawed, and then looked at Snape critically. "Why are you here, traitor?" she demanded, cocking her head. "Here to do me in?"

"You have something better to do?" he asked, raising one eyebrow. "Though your idea does have merit."

"If you have something to do to me, then do it," she snapped, closing her eyes and acting as if she didn't care. "Don't waste my time."

"You are rotting here, Bella, smelly and forgotten," he told her, a look of disdain on his face. "What could you possibly have to do? I'm sure my visit is the highlight of your month, perhaps your year."

"It just so happens that I am indispensable to the Dark Lord," she hissed, her eyes narrowing. "And I am ever part of his plans and his world, he depends on me. If you were still following him, you would know that."

"Really?" he scoffed. "You have no idea of the contact that I have."

"I would know," she told him, her voice flat with conviction. "We - I - well, there are plans afoot."

"From in here?" Snape scoffed. "Really, Bella, you could at least make your lies somewhat believable. They are right, you have gone mad."

"I'm as sane as the day I was put in here," she growled. "He has kept me sane, and my loyalty and devotion. I will not be in these walls forever. But for now, it serves his purposes for me to remain here."

"So you're at the center of some sort of grand plan?" he sarcastically echoed. "Tell me another one, Bella. You weren't that important even when you weren't locked in this hell hole. The Dark Lord just thought of you as, well, let's just say as a _comfort_ on cold nights."

"How dare you!" she trilled at him. "You know nothing. You mock what you do not understand."

Severus eyed her carefully, knowing that she was not an easy one to unbalance. He had angered her, and that was the only way to crack her resolve. His hands itched for his wand, but he knew that even with Legilimency he would be hard pressed to get anywhere with her. Bella's version of occlumency was to throw crazy at the invader, and it was highly effective. The best he could hope for was an unguarded moment where he could glean a few truths taken wandlessly, and he hoped to be able to do it.

"I shall go back and tell Dumbledore that you are not a threat," Snape told her, brushing an imaginary speck off his sleeve. "The boy's dreams mean nothing."

Snape felt her flash of triumph, and it sickened him. She was behind this, then. He kept his face impassive, however, as she gleefully exclaimed, "So that's what's gotten you here, then? Has my night wanderings been getting young Sirius up at night? Poor wee lamb."

"It appears he has been having some unexpected dreams," Snape acknowledged. "Of which you seem to be starring. But I told Dumbledore it couldn't be you, being here and being without your wand. You are not powerful enough for something like that."

"Of course it can't be little old me," she answered coquettishly. "I'm only around to provide comfort on cold nights. How could I manage such a feat?"

"Obviously you couldn't, that's why this trip to see you is so preposterous. I told Dumbledore my time would be better spent searching for your accomplice than to come here and talk to you. Your accomplice is far more dangerous, and without him you are helpless. You, Madame, have been declawed."

"I can still bite," she answered, her voice full of venom. "My accomplice is merely a servant, a helper. He has nothing but a willing wand."

"I'm sure he would be gratified to learn your opinion."

"We all serve the Lord as he directs," she spat. "He should be happy for his roles. The Dark Lord will reign again, you mark my words. And he will reward the faithful."

"And how will he classify you, I wonder?" Snape countered. "You have not succeeded in anything. Giving a first year child some bad dreams is hardly worth mentioning. I do hope you have a better plan, or the Dark Lord will surely just remain the disempowered entity he is now. And as for your role with the dark Lord, well, Bella you are not the young, shapely thing you once were."

"I have barely begun to try," she answered him, her voice full of hate. "You keep your

'son' safe now, Severus. I'm sure the Dark Lord will be interested in your work for him during his absence. I would hate to see you short when it comes time to pay your bill."

Snape heard the rap on the door to signal that his time with Bella was up. He eyed her carefully, and then made a decision.

"I will take your advice to heart, Madame," he replied, nodding, his voice so neutral it could be nothing but sarcasm. "I thank you for sparing me some of your precious time. I am mindful of the imposition on your time my visit has caused you."

"Call again any time," she replied, her words acid. "My advice is freely given."

"What would your advice be for me, then?" he asked.

"Get ready," she told him, grinning with stained teeth. "And don't get too attached to your 'son.'"

Snape was barely able to keep his face impassive as he nodded to her and then left the prison and then apparated back to Hogwarts. He made his way quickly to the Headmaster's quarters, and told him woefully, "I have found out much, and it is not good."

"Is it her?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes," Snape answered, quaffing a calming draught. It just took so much out of him to spy, especially somewhere like Azkaban. Merlin, let this be his last time there! He turned to Dumbledore and said seriously, "It is her, and she has a male accomplice, probably at Hogwarts."

"Do you know their plan?" Dumbledore sighed.

"Not much of it," Snape replied, sighing. "Let's go over everything that was said, and decide what was meant."


	14. Chapter 14 - Mischief Managed

_AN: Here's a longer chapter for you. :) Enjoy. Thank you all for your kind words._

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The morning of Halloween dawned much as any other day in late fall - with a cool mist coming up from the lake and settling around Hogwarts. Sirius looked out at the misty lake that morning as he got dressed, wondering how the plan was going to go that night. Though he had asked hypothetical permission from his guardian for their activities for the evening, that did not assuage the trepidation he felt. Remus had been clear what he would be punished for doing, and Sirius knew that tonight could very easily go into that realm.

Breakfast with his fellow Gryffindors was subdued, everyone was thinking about that evening. Hermione looked to be contemplating her first major, purposeful rule infraction and seemed a bit twitchy. Harry kept glancing at his father, as if deciding if he was brave enough to do it or not. Sirius just rolled his eyes at these amateurs, thinking that their parents were only beginning to have to worry about what they were going to get up to at Hogwarts. He felt Remus' eyes on him, but did not glance at his guardian once during breakfast.

All the young Gryffindors came to the Halloween feast as expected that evening, pretending to be carefree celebrants and not plotting rulebreakers. Sirius smirked as they snuck away, one or two at a time, and re-assembled at the age line. Fred and George wandered up last, and glanced around at their fellow Gryffindors.

"Ready to have some fun?" Fred asked, clapping his hands together. "Let's see if Dumbledore really meant this age line thing."

"I think he meant it," Hermione answered them firmly. "But let's see if we can get around it."

"Why are we doing this again?" Ron asked, gulping. "I mean, do we really want to see that horrible dog again?"

"It's a matter of proving we can do it," George answered.

"And I think it's important for other reasons," Sirius answered enigmatically. "I can't explain it really, but I feel as if we should be able to cross this line."

"The dog shouldn't be too much of a problem either," Hermione interjected. "Sirius and I went to visit Hagrid again, and he let it slip that the key to calming the three headed dog is using music. So I have a music box my parents gave me last Christmas to play and calm the dog."

"That's supposed to work against that great monster?" Ron asked, looking at the music box and blinking incredulously.

"I cast a sonorous charm on it to make it louder," Hermione explained. "It should work, at least long enough."

"Long enough for what?" Ron asked, still skeptical.

"Long enough to have a look at what the great brute is hiding," Harry told him.

"Long enough to start garnering the title of best pranksters," Sirius smirked. "No disrespect, Fred and George."

"We are proud to be part of this group," Fred clapped his fist to his chest.

"We are the few, the proud, and the pranksters," George answered with mock intensity. "For we do not do this for ourselves, but for countless other Hogwarts students that would be bored to tears without us."

"So here we go then," Hermione announced, looking around thoughtfully. "How do we do it?"

"We find the edges of the spell," Sirius told her thoughtfully. "Usually from above or below are better."

"So above?" Hermione asked, looking up. "Is it really just as easy as coming through the floor from above?"

"Let's see what's just above this," Harry confirmed. "Then we can figure on how to come through the floor."

The small party made their way to the floor above, and then debated on which part of the floor was just above Fluffy's chambers.

"It's over here, I'm telling you!" Ron insisted.

"It's over here, by the window!" Hermione countered. "Don't you remember how it was laid out?"

"It's here," Harry told them both, his voice soft but with authority. "Sirius, don't you agree?"

"I think Harry's right," Sirius agreed, looking at the floor carefully. "Now does anybody know how to go through a stone floor?"

"Child's play," Fred countered, raising his wand. "Really, Sirius, you seriously call yourself a prankster?"

"Seriously, Sirius," George echoed. "We could go through a stone floor almost from when we could walk."

"You couldn't do it until you had your wands!" Ron protested, sniggering.

"All right, get all mixed up in chronology, little brother," Fred smirked. "Let's show you how to tunnel."

With a few expert flicks of their wands, stones began to jump out of the floor and wiggle over to the sides, as if they were being set free from captivity. It did not take long before they could see into the chamber below, and hear Fluffy's low growl.

"Right on the money," George confirmed. "Looks like ol' Potter britches knew where to dig after all."

"Very funny," Harry answered, peering into the hole. "I think the dog's gotten bigger."

"Bigger?" Ron squeaked. "Nice, cheerful development."

"Let's see if the music works," Harry directed, looking at Hermione. "Can you levitate it down or would you like me to do it?"

Hermione nodded, handing it to Harry, and he carefully cast, "Wingardium Leviosa" and directed the music box down beside Fluffy. They all watched in fascination as Fluffy did indeed begin to fall asleep in response to the music.

"Okay, Sirius and I first," Harry directed. "We'll need the Weasleys on the rope to lower us down. Hermione next if it's safe."

"Haven't you boys heard of feminism?" Hermione asked, laughing a bit to herself.

"Ron, you've been upgraded to ballast," George told him. "We should tie the rope to him."

"Be careful," Hermione told them, watching in worry. "You only have two minutes before we need to rewind the music box."

"You can always sing, mate," Ron told him, gripping the rope with a smirk. "Maybe do a tap dance."

"Very funny," Harry told him, and then began lowering himself on the rope. Sirius was right behind him, and soon the two young wizards were on the floor, facing the massive, slumbering dog.

"Let's get to the trap door," Sirius directed, edging his way over. "We don't have a lot of time."

"Come on down!" Harry motioned to Hermione, and she slid down the rope with ease.

The three wizards crept over to the trap door with ease, and then suddenly a massive rock from the floor above fell on them. Another fell, hitting the dog firmly on the head. The head woke, but hearing the music was lulled back to sleep. Hermione darted to the music box, rewinding it and holding it in her hand.

"What's the big idea?" Harry asked the twins. "Why the rocks?"

"We don't know what's wrong," Fred told him. "It's not staying together up here."

"You'd better come back up," George told them, his voice tense. It was that tension that alerted Sirius more than anything else that something was wrong. Looking up, he saw another massive rock fall, aimed directly at Hermione. He dove to knock her out of the way of it, and then felt horror as he heard the sound of the music box crashing to the stone floor, shattering.

Hermione, focusing on the music box, leapt over and cast "reparo!" as fast as she could. Some of the pieces began to work their way back together, but everyone knew that it was not going to work in time. Sirius felt a deep shiver go up his spine as he heard Fluffy begin to growl. He looked at Harry, who stood frozen in front of one of the heads.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine . . . " they heard Hermione's strong but off-key voice begin to sing. The heads looked at her, and their lids began to droop. "You make me happy, when skies are gray . . . " Sirius found himself impressed that Hermione could carry a tune at that moment in any manner, he doubted he could manage more than a squeak.

"Quick, climb back up!" Fred urged them. "This prank is bloody well over."

Sirius nodded, ushering the other two over to the rope. Just then the massive piece of rock they stood on gave way, and the Weasleys found themselves landing hard on the floor of Fluffy's chamber as well.

"Are you all right?" Harry asked them, coughing from the dusty rubble.

"Right!" Ron answered. "Did we land on anyone?"

"Don't stop singing, Hermione!" Sirius told her, coughing. "Or the bloody beast will have us all!"

"I cast a cushioning charm as you fell," Harry coughed at them. "I think we managed to get out of the way enough."

"You are my sunshine . . . " Hermione managed to croak out, her voice ragged.

"There once was a maid who stole a kiss and went to tell her mother . . . " Fred started singing jovially, realizing Hermione could barely breathe.

"And what do we have here?" they heard a voice ask.

"Is that you, Professor Quirrell?" Hermione coughed. "Please be careful!"

"O-of c-c-c-course," he stuttered. "I h-h-heard the c-c-c-crash and c-c-came to help."

"We sort of accidently made the floor fall in," Harry explained swiftly.

"Are y-y-y-you unhurt?" he asked anxiously.

"We're right," Ron answered. "Just help us get bloody out of here before that dog has a student snack!"

Quirrell, seeming to remember himself, quickly ushered the students out of the room and past the age line. As his back was turned, Harry felt the shooting pain again, and was barely able to not cry out in pain. Sirius saw the pain, and reached to support Harry so he wouldn't stumble on their way out.

"We had better call someone to help before the floor caves in," George suggested as soon as they were past the age line. "I believe we have just signed up for detention."

"You think that, do you?" they all heard the cold voice of Professor Snape comment. Sirius watched as Harry's face paled at the sound of that voice.

"Professor . . . " Hermione started as soon as she saw him.

"No excuses yet, Granger," Professor Snape told her. "Let me stop the castle from crumbling around us first."

Snape briskly walked past the age line and into the chamber, where he quickly cancelled the spell that was disassembling the floor, and with a few flicks of his wand replaced the large stones that had fallen into the room. Fluffy, not able to hear Fred's singing as well as before, woke up groggily and began to growl at the newest intruder.

"Lay down, you mongrel," Snape growled at him.

Fluffy, working herself into a full growl, lunged at Snape. Snape, as agile as ever, was able to leap back from the massive snapping jaw. He heard his robe and pants rip, however, but didn't feel the pain from the wound until he was back behind the closed door.

"Dad!" Harry yelled, throwing himself at him. "Are you all right?"

"Just a scratch," Snape told him, grabbing the youngster firmly in his arms. "Are you injured?"

"Just a few bumps," Harry told him. "Mostly unscathed."

"Your backside will wish the same thing," he intoned, glaring at his son. "This was your plan? Seriously? Is this some sort of death wish?"

"It didn't exactly go as planned . . ." he admitted, looking down.

"Are all you children unhurt?" Snape demanded, not taking his eyes off of his child.

Murmurs answered him, and he nodded curtly. "And did any of you even realize that there is a massive Mountain Troll on the loose? Dumbledore has ordered all students back to their dormitories."

There were several murmurs of denial, though Fred and George seemed interested.

"Since you are all Gryffindors, I will take you to your head of house for your discipline," he told them firmly. "Though I would be much surprised if it didn't end in your families being informed. This is quite serious."

"Yes, professor," they all murmured, suddenly a bit more worried about that. The Weasley boys would all much rather have detention than be sent home for their mother to deal with. At least detentions at Hogwarts rarely involved something like a wooden spoon.

"Follow me," he told them sternly, and it did not occur to any one of them not to obey immediately. They practically ran after their professor as he made their way through obscure passages and halls. Nobody asked about the indirect route to Gryffindor tower, nobody dared. Though Harry had assured them all that Snape was kind and a good father, they were all still a little scared of the snarky potions master.

He led them to Gryffindor tower, and intended to leave them there as he helped the others with the troll. However, he found himself at the fat lady's portrait at the same time as McGonagall.

"Is the troll vanquished?" he asked politely.

"It is," McGonagall answered in a tired voice. "The smelly thing was verra stubborn, however. And you know how resistant they are to magic. But in the end, I was able to transfigure it and Dumbledore banished it. So now all we have left is to figure out how it got in. Do you think it some foolish prank?"

"I don't know," Severus replied. "But it would have to be advanced students, unlike the ones we have here."

"And what have these miscreants gotten up to?" she asked, her eyebrow arching. "Surely any Gryffindor would obey the headmaster and return to their dormitories."

"It's worse than that," Snape told her firmly. "Which of you would like to tell your head of house about your evening?"

In the end, it had been Hermione. She had the most direct approach, and the boys knew that Hermione could garner sympathy where they couldn't. They each looked at the ground submissively as she recounted - in as favorable a light as possible - their activities. When she finished, she looked up at her fuming head of house and then looked down again quickly. Apparently Hermione's charms had not worked on the elderly professor.

"You went looking for the three headed dog? And you collapsed the floor? And nearly was a dog snack?" McGonagall seemed beside herself at the story. "This is no regular prank to be dealt with by a detention," she intoned.

"Yes, Madame," the children answered reluctantly.

"I hate to enact this punishment, but you will each have detention this Saturday with Filch. And I will send a note home to each of your parents so they understand the seriousness of your infractions, and I will encourage them each to make their displeasure known to you. Except for Miss Granger, I will act as her parent in this circumstance as she lacks magical parents who understand the implications of her actions. I am most seriously disappointed in you children."

She heard their mumbled assents, and then locked gazes with Severus Snape. "I would like to release Mr. Potter and Mr. Black to you, professor Snape. Remus will receive my owl shortly, and I assume you need no such message from me directly."

Professor Snape nodded his agreement, saying, "I will deal with Mr. Potter, and I will make sure Mr. Black finds Professor Lupin."

"Thank you," she nodded to him. "You Weasleys will have to floo home, come into my office. Miss Granger, please follow as well."


	15. Chapter 15 - Getting Off Easy

_AN: Thanks for all the great reviews, suggestions and feedback! The encouragement adds so much enjoyment to the writing process for me. I would especially like to thank Dutchgirl84 and Kyralian for asking questions that I needed to explain in a clearer way in this chapter. Thanks guys! I'm not going to be able to keep up the posting every day, but for now it's fun._

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Sirius found himself following Snape through the corridors again, but this time he took more direct routes. He realized the indirect routes were to avoid the troll, but he didn't say anything about his realization. Better just to be quiet, he told himself. His stomach wrenched when he realized that he was once again in trouble with Remus - and that he was likely going over the man's knee again. He gulped at this realization, and hung his head. Apparently asking in hypotheticals didn't help when you nearly collapse part of Hogwarts on top of a man-eating dog.

When they had arrived at Remus' quarters, Snape rapped loudly.

"Is he alright?" Remus asked hurriedly, realizing that Snape brought his ward to him. "Did the troll injure him?"

"He is physically fine," Snape told him. "You shall receive an owl from McGonagall soon with the details, but the long and short of it is that he, along with several other of his fellow Gryffindors, risked his life foolishly and would have been harmed if it hadn't been for the timely intervention of professor Quirrell and myself."

"Is this the age line thing?" Remus asked suspiciously.

"Indeed," Snape replied. "I'm sure your ward can tell you all about it. Harry and I need to retire to my own quarters at this time, if you will excuse us."

Remus ushered Sirius into his quarters as they heard Snape's boots click their retreat down the hallway. "Would you like to let me know what happened?" Remus asked quietly.

Before Sirius could answer, an owl appeared and landed on Remus' shoulder. Untying the scroll from the bird's ankle, he studied the message carefully. Sirius couldn't imagine a more uncomfortable position than sitting and waiting while some read about your misdeeds so they could punish you.

"Is it true?" he asked the boy, his voice soft.

"Probably," he answered.

"Did you really nearly collapse the school? Did you willingly enter Fluffy's chamber armed with nothing but a music box? Did you really do all this to prove you could cross the age line?"

"I told you about the age line thing," Sirius mumbled.

"I had assumed it was part of a well orchestrated plan, like last spring," Remus replied sternly. "I am very disappointed that you put yourself in danger like this and didn't think anything through."

"I did save Hermione," Sirius told him, shifting uncomfortably. "A large chunk of stone was about to fall on her."

"And why was she in danger?" Remus snapped.

Sirius fell silent, feeling that sense of silencing again. He just hung his head and waited for the punishment to commence.

Remus realized what Sirius was doing, and sat down with a sigh. It was not his intention to scare and silence the lad, he would have to keep control of his emotions. He envied Severus his occlumency.

"I'm glad you saved her," Remus told the boy. "This could very easily have been a much worse situation. I am very happy that you survived. Was this really all a prank?"

"A prank with purpose," Sirius tried to explain. "There's something going on, and we wanted to find out what it was."

"Perhaps it is for adults to worry about rather than children," Remus told him, smirking. "It was a good idea, worthy of the marauders. But it scares the life out of me thinking what could have happened, and I am disappointed that you did not take necessary precautions."

Sirius had to agree, so he nodded. It had been far more dangerous than he had anticipated. "We didn't mean for it to be that dangerous," he told his guardian.

"I realize that," Remus admitted. "You would never have risked Harry."

"You're right, I wouldn't," Sirius agreed.

Then, Remus' expression appeared somber as he said, "You do realize that I'm supposed to discipline you for this, don't you?"

Sirius nodded, not trusting words.

"I want to give you a choice, Sirius. You may choose between being grounded to our quarters for a week, leaving only for class, or you may choose a spanking."

Sirius, relieved for the choice, said, "I choose grounding."

"Very well," Remus nodded, somewhat relieved. "I will have the elves bring down your things."

...

Sirius couldn't explain to the others about his absence at breakfast until their first class. As they wandered into charms a few minutes early, Ron told them of how he and his two brothers had gotten the wooden spoon the night before.

"You would have thought that we had robbed Gringotts with how angry she was!" Ron laughed. "She just kept saying over and over - 'You nearly brought down the school! My own boys, knocking down the school!'"

"So you got it pretty good, then," Harry affirmed with chagrin.

"Yeah," Ron admitted. "You too?"

"My dad was angry because my plan had very little in the way of safety features," Harry admitted. "He also didn't like us knocking stuff down, but was quite concerned it was on me."

"So you got the ruler, then?" Ron asked with sympathy.

"Whether I did or not is for you to wonder," Harry laughed. "Suffice it to say my backside has paid the price."

"How about you, Hermione?" Ron asked. "Did ol' McGonagall have you over her knee?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," Hermione blushed. "She said that likely all of you boys would, and that a note home expected a parental punishment. So I had the choice of being grounded to the tower or a spanking. I chose the spanking."

"Why?" Sirius asked, surprised. He would never expect a girl to choose a spanking.

"It's over quickly," Hermione shrugged. "I'm also a little tired of being the kid with the muggle parents that don't understand anything - I guess I felt a little bad that you boys often pay the price and I mostly get off."

"Was that your first spanking?" Harry asked her, knowing.

"It was," she answered, a little unsure.

"What did she use?" Ron pressed.

"A slipper," Hermione blushed again. "It, well, it really hurt. I did not expect it to hurt that much. I cried, and afterwards she, well, she hugged me. She told me I was forgiven, and that she understood. She told me that she worried about me and that she knew I could do better. I woke up this morning expecting to be black and blue, but I don't have a mark on me and I can't even feel it at all. I feel like such a baby for crying."

"It's normal," Ron told her, shrugging. "Blimey, we all cry getting it. If you don't cry they think they aren't doing it hard enough. You have a good cry, and then a good cuddle, and it's all over. All is forgiven."

"You don't cry as much from the pain," Harry told her, nodding. "I've hurt myself much worse in quidditch and not cried. You cry because, I don't know, you feel bad and sorry and sorry that your Dad has to do it, you know?"

"I think I do," Hermione nodded. "But let's not earn that again, agreed?"

"Then you don't want to hear my plans for the turban," Harry smirked with evil glee.

"Was Remus hard on you, Sirius?" Ron asked, appraisingly. "You look a bit out of it."

"Remus grounded me," he admitted. "That's why I wasn't at breakfast."

"Tough luck," Harry whistled. "Maybe you could talk him into walloping you instead once he cools down a little."

"Maybe," Sirius replied, his mind elsewhere. "We'll see."

"Maybe tell him the rest of us just got smacked," Ron suggested. "A little positive peer pressure?"

"You make it sound like grounding is the worst possible thing," Sirius protested. "It's not bad, just boring."

"Your funeral, mate," Ron laughed. "But who wants to be bored for a whole week? Miss out on sleeping in the dorms and hanging in the common room? I mean sure, if your dad used a cane or something - but just a simple smacking that barely hurts an hour later? Only a fool would choose grounding over that."

"Or maybe someone not sure of his parent," Harry interfered, casting a sympathetic glance at Sirius. "It takes a lot of trust to believe that your parent isn't going to seriously hurt you if you've been hurt before. When I was first with my dad I would have chosen anything over getting smacked because I didn't know that he wouldn't have taken a cane to me. I hadn't had a lot of experience with, shall we say, reasonable parents."

"Those relatives of yours should be glad they got off easy with just dying," Ron snorted. "Can you imagine what Snape would do to them now if they weren't dead?"

Harry snorted too, finding a sort of consolation in the black humor of his friend. Yes, Snape would have been very creative in his retribution to the Dursleys.

"Maybe we should talk about why the floor crumbled like that," Hermione directed the conversation. "What spell did you guys use?"

"It's one that we use for tunnelling," Fred told her. "It's never done that before! We've used it loads of times."

"Have you used it loads of times on floors like that?" she pressed.

"We have," George confirmed. "WIthout confessing too much to you lot, it is one of our primary mischief spells."

"And it worked right at first!" Fred insisted. "When we first did it, it worked fine. It went in and then stopped. It was later that things started going all wonky."

"Has that ever happened before?" Harry asked, serious.

"No, never," George told him. "I was shocked it happened."

"Then we need to consider that it was someone else's doing," Sirius mused.

"But that would mean someone would have had to either cast it in Fluffy's chambers or were there with us that night," Hermione told them. "Who could have known we were going to cross the age line in that way?"

"We sort of checked it with our guardians," Harry admitted.

"Not the method, however," Sirius mused. "The only one that knew about that was us, and the person who gave me the idea."

"Who was that?" Hermione asked.

"Bellatrix LeStrange," Sirius answered honestly, knowing what it would sound like to the others. "She was in my dream."

"You know she's at Azkaban, mate," Ron ventured. "She can't really be there in your dream."

"Someone was in my dream," Sirius answered. "I'm telling you, it's Bella. Nobody could imitate her so well. She told me how to get around the age line."

"Do you think she would have told you something like that for your own good?" Hermione asked. "I mean, she's evil, right? So if it is somehow her communicating with you, could she have just told you how to do it to set you up? To hurt you?"

"Wicked," Ron breathed.

"It's possible," Sirius admitted. "At the time I thought she wanted something from me and was trying to be nice."

"Yeah, mate," Ron agreed. "She wanted your life. And maybe the lives of your friends as well."

Sirius gulped, nervous that this was true. Was Bella after him like that? Had she given him helpful advice in order to trap him? How was she doing this from Azkaban?

"Right, then, let's talk about something else," he abruptly said. "Enough about my crazy cousin. The floor was probably just weak and we hit the wrong spot by accident. What do we know about that turban?"

And then they were off, discussing difficulties and strategies. But Sirius still contemplated Bella, and felt somewhat like a sitting duck waiting for her to pounce again. He felt like he was shaking off the remnants of the compelling charm as he did so - he would never trust that woman again, not even in a dream.


	16. Chapter 16 - Connection

That evening, Sirius ate dinner with Remus without enthusiasm. He had thought all day about what the others had said about their punishments, and he realized that he felt that things were unresolved. The others had resolution - but he still felt as if he was unsure. He didn't think it was necessarily the choice of punishment that was the problem, but something was.

"If you had the choice between a spanking and being grounded, which would you choose?" he asked Remus as he ate his meatloaf.

"Well," Remus considered, taking a drink of his water. "I probably would choose the spanking. It could be the wolf in me, but I have never done well with confinement."

"Did your parents spank you?"

"Sometimes," he answered. "I was mostly pretty good, though. McGonagall got me a few times at school as well."

"My friends got spanked for what happened yesterday," he admitted.

"I'm not surprised," Remus nodded, then looked at his ward. "Are you having second thoughts on your punishment?"

"Well, maybe," Sirius told him, poking his mashed potatoes. "McGonagall gave Hermione the same choice you gave me, and she chose the spanking."

"And you wondered if you made the wrong choice?"

"Maybe," Sirius answered. "I don't want a spanking at all. But when Hermione talked about McGonagall comforting her and forgiving her afterwards, that felt really . . ."

"Loving?" Remus supplied. "Connected?"

"Yes," Sirius agreed. "And your grounding me felt so . . ."

"Disconnected?" Remus supplied again.

"Yes," Sirius agreed, relieved that Remus understood.

"I felt the same way," Remus agreed. "I had all these emotions last night with fear for your safety, anger at your choices, and worry over if it would happen again. But it felt like there was no way to talk about that, it felt like we were both just kind of frozen. I wonder if it would have been different if you'd chosen differently."

"Should I have?" Sirius asked, unsure.

"We just need to get better at this," Remus acknowledged. "We should be able to feel connected no matter what. Maybe if we talked more about what we were feeling."

"Last night I was scared of what you would do," Sirius admitted. "No matter how much I know you are not like my father, I still think you're going to cane me."

"That's why you're frozen," Remus agreed. "I can see why you think that. But I'm not sure how else to tell you that I'll never do that to you."

Sirius shrugged in response, looking at his food.

Remus had decided that Sirius was brave, so he could be too. "I think that I get scared of doing this parenting thing wrong, wrong enough that Dumbledore will take you from me," Remus admitted. "I wish I knew what I was doing better."

"He can't take me if I won't go," Sirius insisted.

"Maybe I'm afraid you'll want to go," Remus admitted quietly.

"No, I won't," Sirius told him firmly. "I've decided to be with you, it won't be me that leaves."

"Thank you for that," Remus nodded quietly. "I shall try to believe you."

"And I will try and believe you that you won't abuse me," Sirius nodded back. "I want to trust you, even to discipline me."

"Me too," Remus answered, touched by the lad's insight.

"And I'm going to let you spank me," he decided, looking at Remus carefully.

"You don't have to," Remus told him. "We are feeling more connected now. I don't think it was really the choice you made that was the problem, but rather our fears."

"Of course. That's why I want to trust you with that," Sirius nodded. "You and I both know that a week of me being grounded isn't ideal for either of us; I don't do well with confinement either. I only chose grounding out of fear, not out of what I would really have preferred."

"If you're sure," Remus looked at him intently. "I can spank you after dinner if you haven't changed your mind by then."

"I won't," he assured him, reaching for his glass of milk. "And we will both survive the doing of it."

Remus wasn't sure of Sirius' assurance once he had the lad over his lap awaiting his punishment. He had thought that twenty with his hand was a fair sentence originally, so he reduced it to seventeen because Sirius had already suffered through one day of grounding. Sirius had gone over his lap with no prompting, and had waited for Remus to begin.

"You know why you're receiving this punishment?" he asked the boy, trying to keep his voice calm.

"For being in the forbidden corridor, crossing the age line, putting myself in danger, and nearly knocking over the school," Sirius replied, cheeky. Bending over Remus' lap did feel very vulnerable, but he convinced himself to do it without complaint. This is part of trusting Remus, he told himself. Remus did not need threats of a body bind to get him to cooperate, he was choosing to trust him.

"What could you have done instead?" Remus asked.

Sirius thought for a minute, and said, "We should have had a better music source. We should have planned on how to go through the floor, instead of leaving it to the twins and their mischief. We should have tried to get past the age line before Fluffy's chambers."

"All good ideas in hindsight," Remus agreed. "You also could have done another prank not involving a lethal three headed dog."

"You're right," Sirius agreed.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather be grounded?" he asked the boy, placing his hand on the lad's back.

"I'm sure," he answered, steadying his voice. "Let's just get it over with."

"Alright," Remus told him. "I'm going to use my hand, but they will be decent smacks. And when it's over, it's over."

Remus knew he was trying to talk himself into it more than anything, so he steeled himself to the task at hand. He reflected that he was Sirius' age when McGonagall had spanked him for the first time, and it was for the marauders playing a very cruel prank on Snape. Snape had never known that she had punished him for it, and they got better at not getting caught by her. She had only caught them a handful of other times.

"Everything okay, Remus?" Sirius asked.

"Fine," he answered. "Just working up the courage to do it."

"You've done it before," Sirius replied, incredulous.

"I think I was pretending before to be something I'm not, something I thought I should be," Remus told the boy. "This time feels different, it feels like me."

"I can wait until you're ready," Sirius told him, cheekiness creeping into his voice. "If you need a moment to pull yourself together . . ."

That gave Remus the impetus to do it, and the first smack connected with the child's backside. Sirius yelped in surprise, and then steeled himself for the subsequent smacks. Remus finished, counting out the smacks until seventeen, and then pulled the child to his chest. It felt so good and so natural to have the boy there, and Remus felt his breathing return to normal as he held him.

"Don't ever try and get yourself killed like that again, Sirius," Remus told him into his hair. "My heart can't take it."

"I won't," Sirius promised. "At least, I won't try to. It could be hard."

"Knowing you, it will be," Remus laughed. "So do you feel better now?"

"Lots better," he answered, enjoying Remus' arms around him. "You?"

"I was fine with grounding," Remus laughed at him. "It made it so I got to have meals with you, you scamp."

"We can still have tea," Sirius decided. "Like Harry does with his dad. I'll be here tomorrow."

"Sounds good," Remus agreed.

"Then there's something else we need to talk about," Sirius looked at Remus. "I'm worried about these dreams. I think Bella might be trying to hurt me with them."

"Why do you say that?"

So Sirius told Remus about the dreams again, and about the floor crumbling during the prank. Remus blinked when he realized that all of the danger of the prank may not have been the fault of the children involved. Had he punished his ward unfairly?

"How do you think Bella could be doing this?" Remus asked him. Of course he knew about Severus' trip to visit said witch, but didn't want the children to be unduly alarmed that the adults had the same suspicions.

"I don't know," Sirius admitted. "But something is going on. Someone cast that compelling charm."

"Someone that has access to you," Remus confirmed.

"That's what worries me," Sirius answered gravely. "Part of me has always worried that I am secretly really evil underneath, that I am a Black and cannot change my spots."

"But look at all you've done to renounce your family!" Remus protested.

"I know," Sirius acknowledged. "But I still worry, I always have."

"You never told me that," Remus told him sadly.

"Well, we were mates before," Sirius explained. "I didn't want to seem like a pansy."

"I suppose," Remus acknowledged, touched that Sirius could be more vulnerable now.

"And now my worry is even greater, and with tangible evidence," Sirius explained. "Now I'm worried that it doesn't matter whether I'm good or evil, but just that our enemies can use me to get to Harry."

Remus, touched by the heartbreaking honesty that Sirius was finally expressing to him, nodded in sympathy. "I can see why," he answered simply.

"Should I back off from Harry to protect him?" Sirius asked, his voice hitching.

Remus, resisting the urge to gather the child in his arms, shook his head. "That would be letting Bella win," he told the child. "Do you think Harry would rather you go?"

"No," he admitted, looking down.

"Harry wants you to fight this," Remus told him. "He would not want us to bow to the pressures of those who don't understand friendship, love or loyalty."

"Do you think I'll hurt Harry?" Sirius asked plaintively, looking up at Remus with tear-streaked cheeks.

"Probably," Remus answered, opening his arms and breathing deeply as Sirius responded by falling into his arms. "But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be friends with him. We'll fight this thing together, Sirius."

Sirius let Remus hold him, stifling the voice that ridiculed him for needing such comfort. His father would never have comforted him after punishing him. The punishment would have been swift and painful, and would have been left alone to gather himself together again. This felt so much different, and he couldn't help start to feel that connection form with Remus.

Both found comfort in the snuggle, and both felt an inexplicable urge to tell each other how they felt about each other. But both resisted that urge.


	17. Chapter 17 - Sitting Ducks

_AN: The end of this chapter is a nod to all of those who miss the Harry and Severus interactions (I find myself included in this number), and aureo09 in particular for commenting upon that. I also wanted to address that some people might feel like it's too soon for Sirius to have a warm moment with Remus. I find myself disagreeing, but part of that could be I wanted to write a warm moment for my own personal gratification because I know what's coming next. I also think that healing after trauma isn't a linear progression, but rather a series of starts and stops, and a lot of hills and valleys. I think that Sirius in that moment trusted Remus, and a lot of that could even have been leftover feelings for him from his childhood friendship with him. For Sirius' sake I really wanted him to trust at least a little, but it's not over by any means. As always, I love comments and suggestions. Even the ones I disagree with (maybe even especially those) get me thinking and usually take me to a better place in my writing._

* * *

Sirius went back up to Gryffindor tower that night, enduring the guffaws and good-natured teasing that came with it. He was glad to be in the tower, however, and glad that his punishment was over except for the Saturday detention. He had had enough of magical creatures and strange happenings for one night.

That Saturday, the miscreants gathered for detention with Filch. To their surprise, Draco appeared with them for detention.

"What did you do, mate?" Ron hissed at him as they were waiting to hear what dreadful chore they would be tasked with.

"Not telling," Draco answered.

"Oh, come on," Ron begged. "You know what we did."

"Just because you are foolhardy Gryffindors and don't know how to keep your affairs private," Draco hissed back. Then, relenting a bit, he said, "Just for future reference, Professor Snape doesn't think playing pranks on your housemates funny."

"Good to know," Harry laughed.

"It's all about plausible deniability, mate," Fred guffawed at him. "Always remember to build that in."

"Or he could just behave himself," Hermione intoned, but with a twinkle in her eye.

"So could you," Draco shot back. "You're at this detention too."

"That's enough, kids," Hagrid told them. "It's time to get down to business."

"I thought our detention was with Mr. Filch," Hermione responded, confused.

"It's going to be with me today," Hagrid answered. "We are going into the Forbidden Forest. I've had reports of an injured unicorn, and we're going to try and track it to help it."

"Is this really detention?" Sirius asked, dumbfounded.

"I know, detentions aren't supposed to be fun," Hagrid answered. "But if there's a chance ta help that unicorn, we need yer help. Now, we're splitting into teams to look for this creature."

"We're together!" the twins chorused.

"Alright, then," Hagrid agreed. "Ron, Hermione and me will be together and that leaves Harry, Draco and Sirius together. Now when you find the animal, you . . ."

"I'm not going with those two!" Draco protested.

"What, not good enough for you?" Sirius sneered.

"No, you prat," Draco replied. "But we all know that if something happens, if some dark creature bent on murdering first years is lurking in the forest, everyone knows it will make a beeline to those two."

"The red shirts on the away mission," Harry joked, and then stifled his grin when he got blank stares from the others. Apparently the wizarding world did not share Uncle Vernon's love of Star Trek reruns.

Hagrid looked at the boys, and then shook his head. "Nope, we're gonna do it like assigned," Hagrid confirmed. "This is meant to be a detention, after all. An' the twins know more magic than you lot. Now if you see sumptin', then send off sparks with your wand and I'll come fast as I can."

"Aren't you worried about us running into whatever is hurting the unicorns?" Draco challenged.

"You're wi' Harry Potter who vanquished you-know-who as a baby, lad," Hagrid grinned. "Ye'll be fine. Now off we go."

Harry, Sirius and Draco headed off in the direction indicated by Hagrid, and went silently at first.

"We're not actually monster bait," Sirius told Draco as they walked.

"Whatever," Draco replied sarcastically. "Let's just say I've never had to fight an acromantula, three headed dog, crazed house elves, snakes, or even a mangy black dog. I've never even been kidnapped. If something happens tonight, it's you guys."

"Now some of those weren't exactly our fault . . ."

Draco snorted. "Doesn't matter if it's your fault, Potter," he smirked. "You attract trouble. I just would rather have been with bloody Ron or someone."

"Ron got bit by that dragon!" Harry protested.

"Because he was around you, you prat," Draco smirked again.

"A punch up is not going to help anything," Sirius smirked. "We'll do our best to keep you from being moster tucker."

They continued in the forest, looking around.

"Anybody ever consider that sending us into the forbidden forest is not a proper punishment for breaking the rules?" Draco asked again. "It's like, 'If you break the rules, then your punishment is us forcing you to break the rules.'"

"It's better than scrubbing cauldrons," Harry reasoned.

"Not if we're eaten by acromantulas," Draco quipped.

"What's that?" Sirius interrupted, peering into the woods. "Do you see something there?"

"I don't," Draco replied sharply.

"No, right there," Sirius replied. "Harry, you see it don't you?"

"Maybe . . ."

"Shh," Sirius ordered in a whisper. "Belt up! There's something."

The three of them crept closer, over a small hill. They looked down, with the failing light falling upon a unicorn laying upon the ground. Her flanks were vibrating rapidly as the poor creature gulped for breath, sparkly dark, silvery blood spilling over her nearly luminescent white coat.

"We must hurry," Harry breathed. "She's nearly dead."

"Wait!" Draco protested, but Harry pulled out his wand and shot off a spray of bright red sparks.

Then, a hooded creature emerged from behind the fallen unicorn, silvery blood dripping from its gruesome mouth.

A high pitched squeal escaped from Draco's mouth, and he backed up as the creature swept over the unicorn and towards them.

Harry froze too, and Sirius exclaimed, "Harry! Get him!"

That broke Harry from his fear, and he raised his wand towards the creature and yelled, "Stupefy!"

The blast hit the floating creature, causing it to tumble back a bit. Harry, feeling more confident, tried, "Petrificus totalis!" just as he heard Sirius fire off, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The hooded creature faltered, frozen, but then was able to shake it off. It's menacing face seemed uncertain, and skirted the clearing between them.

Suddenly, Sirius found himself tumbling to the earth in pain. He saw Harry tumbling to the ground right beside him, and tried to lift his wand again. His entire body convulsed with pain even more intense, and he involuntarily dropped his wand. The pain convulsed again, and he found himself wishing the creature would kill him just to escape the pain.

Suddenly, the pain ceased as quickly as it had started, and he saw a tall figure looming over him. He heard shouted spells echoing in his head, and he closed his eyes. The darkness enveloped him, and he found himself falling.

…

Sirius found himself floating up from the darkness like a bubble. The bubble shimmered and surfaced, with flooding his eyes as he realized that he had control of his body again. His eyes became aware of the light, but he couldn't summon the energy to open them. So he lay on his soft bed, breathing in the smell of antiseptic and potions, and listening to the sounds around him. Ahhh, he was in the infirmary.

"If that woman believes that sending first years out to the Forbidden Forest with nobody but Hagrid to protect them is appropriate discipline she should be fired!" he heard Snape snarl in a soft but menacing voice.

"I don't think she knew we would be attacked," Harry offered meekly.

"It's the Forbidden Forest," Snape growled.

"We were pretty naughty," Harry offered, and Sirius just knew he flashed a cheeky grin.

"For which I soundly punished you," Snape acknowledged. "Cleaning the owlery or somesuch would have been far more appropriate."

"Am I in trouble now?" Harry asked meekly.

"What do you think?" Snape asked him smoothly.

"Well, I did try to take on whatever that thing was . . ."

"Rightfully defending yourself and your comrades," Snape nodded. "You were somewhere you were approved to be, and you acted the best you could to defend yourself. What would I punish about that?"

"Well maybe I was just defending myself from that three legged dog," Harry protested.

"You know why you were punished for that," Snape told him. "You were punished for such a dreadful plan! No safety! No backup! Large chunks of floor almost crushed you! You know better than that, Harry, and you deserved every swat I gave you for it. I can't believe you just showed up and went with whatever hare-brained scheme the Weasley twins came up with! It is a modern miracle those two aren't exploded or plastered against some wall somewhere as a permanent decoration! If you have such dreadful planning again you may cause me to rethink my promise to never take a strap to you."

"Really?" Harry asked, but Sirius didn't think he sounded worried.

"Do you need more lines?" he growled.

"No sir," Harry answered, and then recited. "I shall endeavor to believe that there is nothing I can do to earn the strap from my father."

"Good. Well, you would at least make me wish I could take a strap to you," Snape sighed. "But you know I wouldn't do it. So could you please plan better next time?"

"I will," Harry promised.

"You fought that . . . creature very well," Snape told him. "You held it off long enough for Remus and I to arrive. If you hadn't done that, I think it may have hurt the both of you badly."

"Is Sirius going to be alright?"

"He received some version of the cruciatus curse," Snape sighed. "It wasn't full strength, but whatever that thing was was able to cast at least a little. The effects of the cruciatus in the dose that he had it are entirely recoverable, though he will be tired and may have a bit of nerve damage. I have already administered several potions that will help."

"You keep them on hand?" Harry croaked. "Is it all that common?"

"It is for a spy of the Dark Lord," Snape told him gently. "The Cruciatus was one of his favorite methods of disciplining underlings."

"Oh," Harry answered, a little in awe.

Sirius felt the same way - how had this man endured it? Sirius had had it for a few moments, and he would do anything not to experience it again. Once again, he had to acknowledge that Snape was an impressive man.

"And Draco?"

"By the time Remus caught up to him he was nearly to Hogwarts and as white as a sheet. Madame Pomfrey gave him some calming and sleeping draughts, but other than being frightened he seems fine."  
"So now that I'm eleven, I know that I'm far too old to ask for a hug when something like this happens," Harry told Snape. "But if you were, I don't know, feeling scared for me and wanted a hug . . ."

"I would like a hug," Snape told him smoothly. "It was indeed a frightening ordeal."

Sirius heard Harry climb up into Snape's lap, and found a strange pang of jealousy for their interaction. For not the first time, he wished he could trust Remus more. He had that moment with him the day before, but also wasn't foolish enough to think it would last.

"Does this mean more defense lessons?" Harry asked.

"It does," Snape answered him. "Perhaps for Sirius too, as he seems to be becoming as much of a target as you."

"Where's Remus?" Harry asked.

"Professor Lupin is out in the forest continuing to search for the thing," Snape answered. "I came back due to the specialty potions that Poppy needed. I will contact them and see if they are still searching, and I will rejoin them."

"What was it?" Harry asked.

"Perhaps young Mr. Black would like to join this discussion?" Snape asked.

Chagrined, Sirius opened his eyes, blinking at the light.

"Welcome back," Snape greeted him with sarcasm.

"How long has he been awake?" Harry asked, startled.

"Long enough, I should say," Snape acknowledged. "Since we first started talking."

"Why didn't you warn me?" Harry asked.

"Part of it I thought he should hear," Snape answered. "And I also thought a practical lesson might supplement my teachings of always thinking about who could overhear you. This time it was your friend, next time it could be your enemy."

"You should have said something," Harry accused both Snape and Sirius.

"It was strange," Sirius tried to explain. "I could hear, but felt like I couldn't move."

"Common side effect," Snape nodded. "But you should be almost clear of it now. What do you remember?"

"Pain," Sirius admitted. "Fear. Then someone rescuing us."

"That was Remus and I," Snape nodded. "I owe Arthur a great debt for that alarm. You were hit with something like a Cruciatus Curse. It was not of enough strength or longevity to cause much harm, but you might be tired and sore for a few days. Now that you're awake, Poppy will want to examine you more closely. Are you feeling well?"

"Weak," Sirius admitted. "What was it?"

"Some form of imperi, as far as we can tell," Snape admitted. "And it was what killed the unicorn for its blood."

"We hoped to save it," Harry sighed. "Poor thing."

"Hagrid tried, but it was too far gone," Snape told him. "And the . . . thing got away too."

"Great," Harry exclaimed. "Another thing trying to kill us."

"Indeed," Snape nodded. "This is becoming altogether too familiar. But as far as this thing in the woods goes, I'm not sure how much further we can go on this until something else happens."

"Sitting ducks," Sirius acknowledged.

"Indeed," Snape agreed.


	18. Chapter 18 - Doing Her Worst

"Defense is a subject not to be taken lightly," Snape told his special class of two. "Especially for you two."

"Harry already has loads of these lessons," Sirius complained.

"We'll work on catching you up," Remus promised. "And Harry can help you too."

"The most important first lesson for defense is that you need help," Snape told them both firmly. "We cannot teach you how to take on a fully grown wizard, so any sign of trouble and you alert a responsible adult."

"Arthur made an alert necklace for you too, Sirius," Remus told him, fastening the necklace onto him. "Any sign of trouble, and pull this part here. It sends a message to me much like a patronus, and I can follow it back to wherever you are."

"Do not try to take on more than you can handle," Snape told them. "And you need to recognize that you two can handle very little at this point."

"It's been great to be able to call my Dad like that," Harry told Sirius. "It's saved my bacon more than once."

Sirius nodded, looking at the innocuous-looking thing.

"Now, we're going to start with the basics," Snape instructed. "We are going to practice 'Stupefy' and then have you boys practice on each other. Wands up."

...

Time passed, and things were quiet. Defense lessons continued, and even though Sirius had some memories of what Remus and Snape taught them, he recognized Harry as far more advanced than he was. Though he was sometimes able to pull off a lucky shot, more often than not he found himself disarmed and staring at the ceiling.

They decided not to make another run on the age line at that time at least. Ron had summed it up with, "That's a bloody scary dog," and the others all agreed. They would deal with that later. For now, the turban became their focus, as well as planning for the upcoming prank war for the holidays.

As Sirius drifted off one night in the week before Christmas break, he found himself as Padfoot again. But this time he was in his childhood home, number 12 Grimmauld Place. He wandered the empty hallways, searching for life, but finding only deformed rats and boggarts waiting for him around each corner. Despite this, he felt inclined to push onward in his explorations - he was looking for something, something he had lost. His sensitive nose picked up the smell of doxies and layers of ancient dust, but no people; no person.

And then suddenly he did smell her - faintly on the wind, like the scent of fresh roses. He scented her fully, her scent coming to him on the wind. The scent drew him inexorably forward - and he obeyed the intoxicating aroma. He had to find her! Suddenly, the door of the study loomed up in front of him.

Sirius knew that his father had been dead for many years, but the study still was a place of fear and trepidation for him. Often enough he had been brought to that room to be reprimanded, yelled at, threatened, and often caned. That room was a place of pain and fear, it had no good memories for him at all. But the scent insisted that he enter, and so he closed his eyes and felt himself being drawn into the room.

"Welcome, Padfoot," she smiled broadly. "You've found me."

"I have," he confirmed. "What did you want of me?"

"You are here to pay the price," she grinned at him with a hollow grimace.

"What price?" he asked, suddenly uncomfortable. In his dream he didn't have his necklace.

"You broke the compelling charm," she told him. "And our plans for the Fluffy prank didn't work. Those were the carrots, this is the stick."

"What carrot?" he asked, confused. "I don't remember a carrot."

"We wanted to woo you," she told him. "But your guardian has cast an anti-compelling charm on you that we can't break. We were able to go around it a bit to get you to cross the age line, but even that is no longer open to us. So we're going to have to do this the hard way."

"The hard way?" he echoed.

"Yes," she smiled. "If we cannot woo you, we need to make you fear us."

"You can woo me," he said, feeling nervous. He tried to move, but his body was frozen.

"Not this time," she said, cocking her head to one side. "Now all we have to decide is whether it should be the cruciatus or the cane."

Sweat broke out all over Sirius' body, and he found his mouth felt like cardboard. That small taste of the cruciatus in the Forbidden Forest had frightened him badly. He also knew he was trapped and at her mercy. "Please don't," he said quietly, and blushed at how helpless he sounded.

"You will taste this pain," she told him. "So that you never want to anger us again."

"I'll do what you want," he begged, throwing all dignity out. Perhaps it was being in this room again, but he felt all the fear and helplessness associated when his father had endeavored to discipline him here. "Please, whatever you want."

"We want two things," she told him. "First, we want an object that his hidden and protected at the school. You will follow our direction to retrieve it for us."

"And the second thing?" he asked, afraid he knew the answer.

"We want Potter," she told him simply. "We want you to get him away from his 'Father' and somewhere where we can take care of him. This is even better if you do both together."

Sirius felt torn, but he knew the torn feeling was a result of fragments of a compelling charm that was trying to work on him. He would never betray Harry, it did not matter what carrot or what stick was used.

"Use the cruciatus curse," he told her with far more bravery than he felt. "I won't do what you want. I would never betray Harry."

"We thought you might need persuasion," she told him, her smile demonic. "The cane it is."

"But . . .!" he protested, but he found himself transfigured into a human and bent over the desk before he could even finish his protest. A sticking charm held him firmly in place, despite him fighting against it.

"Do you recognize this cane?" she asked him, holding it a few inches from his face.

"It's my father's cane," he admitted, fighting to keep down the terror that was rising in him.

"I believe you know how this feels," she told him, tapping the end on the desk lightly. "I believe you have felt it more than once."

"I have," he told her, his voice steely. "And he never broke me, either."

"My dear Sirius," she told him, patting his head fondly. "You can break anyone if you're willing to hurt them enough. They eventually submit or they go crazy, but you've broken them either way."

"My father _tried_ ," he told her, a slight emphasis on the "tried."

"He was not willing to inflict enough pain, then," she told him, cackling. "I always thought your father to be weak, and now I know. I am not weak, however."

"Just crazy," he spat.

"Look who's trying to get me mad right before his punishment!" she cackled, as if it were a joke. "Brave lad."

"Just do what you're going to do, Bella."

"Don't worry, I will," she told him, flexing the cane in her hands. "How many did your father give you?"

"Six normally," Sirius admitted. "But up to ten if I was really bad."

"How about fifty?" she asked, an evil smile on her face.

Sirius gulped down the fear rising in his stomach, and placed his cheek against the cool wood surface. He would survive this, just like he survived his father. "Do your worst, Bella," he told her. "You won't turn me."

And then he heard the whistle of the cane through the air, and heard the soft clack of the cane against his backside a second before the fiery sting erupted, causing him to cry out.

"Famous last words," she told him lightly. "We shall see if they are true."

...

Harry woke up in the middle of the night, hearing Sirius call out in his sleep. Sirius sometimes did have nightmares, so Harry mostly ignored the sound, and then he cried out again. Rubbing his eyes, Harry sat up in bed and cast a dim _Lumos_! spell in the room to see if he was alright. He saw Sirius bent over the edge of his bed, and then crying out again, writhing as if someone were beating him.

"Sirius?" Harry called to him. "Are you alright?"

"He's having a bloody nightmare," Ron complained, groaning. "Between you and him it's lucky we get any sleep at all."

"Something's wrong," Harry said, pulling on his glasses. "He's not waking."

"Sirius?" Ron called to him, suddenly concerned.

Harry crept out of bed and over to Sirius, patting his shoulder to try and wake him. "It's just a dream, Sirius," Harry told him.

In his movement, Sirius's pajama top had ridden up, exposing the skin of his back. Harry looked closer at his back and paled. "Ron, he has welts on his back," Harry told him. "Fresh ones."

"Someone's beating him in his sleep?" Ron asked, incredulously. "How is that even possible?"

As Sirius cried out again, Harry activated his necklace. Snape appeared in the room before Harry could hardly wonder how long it would take.

"It's Sirius," Harry quickly explained. "Look at his back."

Severus, assessing the situation quickly, called for Dumbledore and Remus to join him right away. While waiting, he performed a "Finite Incantatem" to no effect. Whatever was causing this was not a simple charm. It felt like hours to all of them until Dumbledore arrived. They each winced every time Sirius' body jerked in pain and he cried out. Harry felt sick as he saw each stripe appear on Sirius' back, and he knew several of the blows went to the seat of his trousers as well.

Snape tried a blocking spell, and Remus tried an Imperturbable spell as well, each to no effect. They also tried waking spells, but Sirius kept being beaten. Harry saw that Snape was at a loss, and didn't know what to try next.

"We should wait for Dumbledore," Snape decided. "This is not an ordinary spell or prank. We could cause more harm if we just keep casting."

"He's being beaten in a dream!" Remus cried out. "Surely we can stop this!"

"This is dark magic," Snape told him, watching Sirius closely. "We need Dumbledore. At least a few stripes aren't going to kill him."

"They may kill me," Remus answered, wincing as another stripe fell. He could almost hear the swish and crack of the cane, and he felt so helpless to stop it.

When Dumbledore arrived he assessed the situation quickly, and with his face set in a stern expression, commanded it to stop. His face became stony, his wand swished in a complicated pattern, and then he commanded again. Remus could see the spell that held Sirius melt off him, and soon Sirius was a sobbing but awake puddle on the floor by his bed.

Remus rushed to him, wanting to help but not wanting to touch the welts that covered his back and backside.

"Get him to Poppy," Dumbledore directed. "She can fix him. Remus, when you're assured of his safety, join Severus and I in my office."

"I will," Remus nodded. "Sirius, I'm going to levitate you so we can get you to the infirmary without hurting you. Okay?"

Sirius nodded, unable to speak, and Remus gently levitated him up. Sirius soon found himself face-down on a crisp sheet, and heard Remus summon Poppy.

"What on earth happened?" he heard Poppy exclaim. "Did Severus finally . . . "

"No, no," Remus assured her. "We don't know what caused it. This started happening in his sleep, and none of us could stop it until Dumbledore got there. We saw him bent over his bed and being beaten, but were powerless to stop it."

"This looks like a cane," she observed critically. "Let's see if it responds to ordinary cures. Here, Sirius, drink this and tell me if it helps."

Sirius accepted the vial and drank it in one gulp. He waited for the effects, and then shook his head. "No difference," he admitted.

"The stripes were inflicted magically," Remus observed. "Not with a real cane. It will need a different cure."

"We'll see about that," Poppy grumbled, going back to her potions store. "The poor boy won't suffer any more if I can help it."

"I should go and meet with Dumbledore and Snape . . ." Remus began.

"Don't you dare step foot out of this room until this is under control," Poppy snapped at him. "If this is what I think it is I'll need help."

"Yes, ma'am," he responded automatically.

Poppy returned with several potion bottles, and glared at Remus. "This poor boy is beaten within an inch of his life . . ."

"I'm alright," Sirius objected.

"You are not," she snapped. "No person your age should have the cane at all, let alone how many stripes? 30? 40?"

"I lost count," Sirius admitted. "But I've had the cane before. You know, last time I was a boy."

Poppy's eyes softened, and Remus paled.

"This bad?" Poppy asked him in a softer tone.

"Nearly," he admitted, feeling fragile. Tears sprang to his eyes unnoticed.

"How often?" she asked in the same voice.

"Not too often," he replied. "When I got sorted into Gryffindor, and a few other times."

"That was abuse," Poppy told him. "If I had known about it, we would have taken steps to stop it."

"I survived," Sirius told her.

"You did," she confirmed. "But you shouldn't have had to. Just like this time, you did not deserve this. Whomever did this is a criminal."

"It was Bella," Sirius told her. "She said that she had been trying to compel me and tempt me, and because I didn't respond to that that she was done with the carrot and would now use the stick."

"That is for Dumbledore to sort out," Poppy told him. "I'm going to focus on getting you out of pain. Did she use a cane?"

"My father's cane," Sirius answered.

"Did your father's cane permit healing before?" Poppy asked.

"No," Sirius answered, wincing. "I had to sit on his handiwork until it healed."

"Then let's hope it was just that, and not that it was psychically inflicted," Poppy answered. "But in order to deal with this I have to see all of the damage. I'm going to place you under this sheet and then transform your pajamas into an examination gown, alright?

Sirius nodded, embarrassed, and looked away as Poppy did what she had said. He heard a low whistle as she inspected the welts, but her sympathetic manner made him feel less shame about it.

"Merlin's sakes . . ." he heard Remus gasp when he obviously saw the full extent of the injuries. "Sirius . . ."

"Don't make the boy worried about your reaction," Poppy told him. "Sirius is going to need you to be strong, Remus."

Remus nodded, closing his mouth. Trying to engage his brain, he said, "What did Bella want you to do?"

Sirius, not looking at his guardian, said, "She wants me to take Harry off the grounds so she can get to him. I refused."

"You are very brave," Remus told him.

"She had debated between the Cruciatus and the cane," Sirius told him. "I told her to do her worst, I would not betray Harry."

"You can break anybody with enough pain," Poppy told him. "There's no shame if she turned you."

"She didn't," Sirius said with some pride in his voice. "I remained firm."

"Then you should be very proud of yourself," Poppy told him. "You are obviously very strong. I need a little more of that strength right now, because I have to perform a counter-curse to the damage inflicted. Can you do it?"

"I can," Sirius answered, bracing himself.

Remus, still pale but gathering his own courage, said, "What can I do to help?"


	19. Chapter 19 - Courage

Remus joined Dumbledore and Snape, and Sirius relaxed in his bed. Poppy had removed most of the pain, and the spells and potions she had used with Remus had taken care of the bruising and bleeding as well. He was still a bit tender, but much better.

"How's it going?" he heard Harry ask from beside him.

"Heck of a nightmare," he replied.

"What happened?"

"Well, there was this pirate ship and they started singing about being accountants . . ."

"Come on, what really happened?" Harry interrupted, rolling his eyes

"That was my question," they heard Snape come in.

"I don't want to talk about it," Sirius told them, looking away.

"I know you don't," Snape told him softly, sitting down on the chair beside his bed. "Dumbledore has asked me to come and talk to you."

"Why you?"

"Remus is . . . distraught. He felt he could rely on my . . . objectivity. Would you like me to question you with Harry here or out of the room?"

"Question?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"Perhaps interview would be a better word," Snape replied. "Now, Harry?"

"He can stay," Sirius sighed. "He'll just 'question' me with you gone."

"Can you tell us what happened?"

"It was in my dream," Sirius explained. "I felt drawn to Bella, just as before. I was Padfoot. Then, she told me that because they couldn't compel me anymore, they were going to use the stick instead of the carrot."

"They?"

"Yeah, she was always saying 'we'," Sirius confirmed. "Then, she debated between the cruciatus and the cane, and she told me what she wanted me to do."

"And what was that?"

"She said there was something hidden at the school that she wanted, and that she wanted me to get Harry somewhere where she and her friend could take care of him. She said to do both of those at the same time was idea. I told her to do her worst, I would never betray Harry. Then she chose the cane, and I found myself in human form stuck over the desk and being beaten like crazy."

"Bella would have played with your emotions more," Snape pressed.

"She did use my father's cane," Sirius admitted. "And it was in his . . . study. Where, you know, my dad used to . . ."

"I understand," Snape nodded. "What else?"

"She asked me how many my father used to give me," Sirius answered. "And I told her six to ten. She told me I was getting fifty."

"Did she apply that many?" Snape asked softly and without emotion.

"I think she didn't finish," Sirius admitted. How Snape was talking about it made it seem better to talk about - like it wasn't his fault, and that they could talk about it objectively. "I didn't exactly count."

"Did she give you the chance to change your mind?" Snape asked him.

"No," Sirius admitted. He flushed to think of what he may have done if she had offered him a chance. "But I think if I had agreed she would have stopped."

"Did she tell you what it is she wanted at Hogwarts?"

"Just that it was hidden," Sirius told him. "And being protected."

"This is my fault," Harry paled. "Sirius, you should have just agreed."

"I wouldn't do that," Sirius growled, his voice stubborn. "And she could not have made me."

"She could have," Snape answered soberly. "Or killed you, or made you go crazy. Your bravery in the face of torture is admirable."

"You would have done the same," he told Snape. He wasn't sure what to do with actual praise from Snape, it felt so odd. Is this squirming feeling inside what Harry felt? Is that why Harry liked him so much?

"I would have," Snape agreed. "But I am also a fully grown wizard and completely devoted to Harry's safety. I am recognizing that you are, even though not fully grown, somewhat in the same boat."

"I don't want people tortured for me!" Harry protested.

"Of course not," Snape nodded to him. "It is hard to accept. But accept it you must, and do not denigrate what Sirius has done for you. Instead of being lost in guilt, you should be honoring his friendship and loyalty."

"You're right," Harry breathed. "Sirius, I . . ."

"It's okay," Sirius told him, his face turning red from emotions. He couldn't take any more of this praise. "I understand. You would do the same for me."

"I hope that if I ever have to be, I am as brave as you were tonight," Harry told him honestly. "Thanks."

"However, we may have a conversation about being slightly more Slytherin about it," Snape confirmed. "When Draco was confronted with Miss Bulstrode he pretended to go along and then let us know what was happening so we were able to create a plan. Feel free to become a spy if you think you are able."

"I didn't even think about that," Sirius admitted. The squirminess went away, and talking about what he could have done better felt infinitely more familiar.

"Gryffindors," Snape sighed. "We will work on developing your thinking side better. But enough for now. I am going to give this information to the headmaster, and I want Harry to stay with you. Harry, I want you to not let him fall asleep."

"Not asleep?"

"You can ask Poppy for pepper-up potions if you need to, but I don't want Sirius to sleep until we figure out what happened to him. Don't stew about what happened, though, you can read or play exploding snap or something."

"Okay," Harry agreed.

"I will be back within an hour or two," Snape nodded. "Now Mr. Black, are you experiencing any more discomfort?"

"My skin feels tight and a bit itchy," Sirius told him. "But nothing like before."

"That's the skin healing," Snape nodded. "But sometimes some of the deeper bruising can be difficult to treat. If you find yourself in pain, please let Poppy know."

"Yes, sir."

Snape left, and Sirius sighed. "So, you're my babysitter," he said, not looking at Harry.

"I suppose I'm better than Neville," Harry joked. "He looked as white as a sheet. Especially when he found out it was Bella."

"Bellatrix tortured his parents," Sirius told Harry. "She's responsible for them being in St. Mungo's."

"I didn't know that," Harry answered softly.

"The Crucio can do that," Sirius told him. "If it's applied too long and too intensely. It kind of fries your nerves."

"Poor Neville," Harry answered.

"Evil Bella," Sirius countered. "I am going to get that witch."

"How?" Harry asked.

"I don't know yet," he answered. "But I will."

"I'll help," Harry answered simply.

"Oh, and Harry, don't get to thinking I'm all brave and everything," Sirius told him.

"But you were brave," Harry replied easily. "Why wouldn't I think that?"

"I cried," Sirius answered softly. "You saw me. Hell, the whole dorm room saw me. Blubbering like a baby."

"I think even Snape would cry in those circumstances," Harry smirked. "That was awful."

"Do you think so?" Sirius asked him. He couldn't imagine the stern potions master crying, and Sirius had been responsible for a lot of trying to make him cry.

"I do," Harry told him. "And I know I sure would have. I don't think tears mean you're less brave."

"I sure feel like a baby when I do cry," Sirius admitted.

"And I think that's what bravery is - doing what you know you should even when it's scary and bad. Like you did."

Sirius thought about what he said, and said, "Thanks Harry."

"Exploding snap?" Harry offered. "That should keep you awake."

"You're on," Sirius replied. "But I'm going to stay on my stomach to play."

…

When Snape returned to Dumbledore's office, he sighed when he saw the state of Remus. The man had been crying, as evidenced by his red-rimmed eyes and blotchy face. Dumbledore was urging tea upon him, and with a quick sniff Snape confirmed a rather large dose of calming draught had been added to it.

"I have questioned the child," Snape told them. "And there are a few interesting points relevant to our plans."

"Is he alright?" Remus asked, sipping the tea.

"He is recovering well," Snape answered. "I left Harry with him with instructions not to fall asleep again. I believe he needs to be moved."

"Won't she get to him wherever?" Remus asked.

"We believe that she needs a proxy," Dumbledore explained to Remus. "She has admitted needing a helper. With the spell we believe to be being used, it would have to be someone with physical contact or at least very close physical proximity with Sirius. So, if we can remove him to somewhere such as Spinners end with only you, Severus and Harry there he should be safe."

"Can he not be at Hogwarts?" Remus hated to think of that, Sirius would be so disappointed.

"Only until we figure out how to ward against this intrusion," Snape answered. "Hopefully by the time school starts again after Christmas."

"If they are physically able to injure him in his dream, they could do worse," Dumbledore reasoned. "Sirius cannot dream of Bella again."

"Do worse?" Remus echoed with a hollow voice.

"It's Bellatrix LeStrange," Dumbledore sadly said. "We all know she's capable of far worse."

"I can escort you to Spinner's End now," Snape told Remus. "You can leave Sirius with Maisie during the day when you teach."

"I think Remus should stay there," Dumbledore decided. "I'll make sure your classes are covered, Remus. I would hate someone to be able to somehow get to him through you, Remus."

"Okay," Remus agreed. "I would feel better being there with him."

"And do not let anybody in other than us," Dumbledore told him. "No matter who it is. Severus, you will need to ward against polyjuice tonight."

"It has already been done," Snape confirmed. "I was a spy, after all."

"Silly of me not to realize," Dumbledore smirked. "Now, do you think occlumency would help the boy?"

"Of course it would," Snape confirmed. "But he is far too young to be able to do it. And it would take an expert to withstand Bella."

"The best thing would be to find out who her proxy is," Dumbledore rubbed his face. "We could lay charges against Bella, but even if we got her kissed it would leave her accomplice in close proximity to Sirius and Harry, and far more desperate."

"A trap then," Snape agreed, his eyes flashing. "We shall have to plan."

"Right now we need to get the boy somewhere safe."

"Once there I will get you both a sleeping potion," Snape nodded. "You will both need it. We should go as soon as possible."

"Give me a minute," Remus agreed. "I don't want him to see that I was crying."

"It would do him good to know how much this affected you," Dumbledore told him. "I think it's done you some good too."

"Bloody Gryffindors," Snape grumbled, but agreed.

"Let's go then," Remus confirmed, wiping his eyes again. "Let's get him out of here as soon as we can."


	20. Chapter 20 - Feeling Safe

Snape did exactly what he had promised. Sirius found himself tucked into his bed at Spinner's end, already forced to swallow a potion, and feeling delightfully drowsy. He knew that Remus was in his room with him, but he didn't look at him. He had seen the man's tear-streaked face before and didn't know what to make of it. Why had he been crying on his behalf?

"Are you comfortable?" he asked Sirius, making sure he was tucked in snugly.

"Yes," Sirius answered sleepily. "Bella can't get me here."

"You're safe here," Remus assured him. "I'm going to sleep right here beside you tonight. I've already transformed the chair into a bed."

"Don't snore," Sirius chuckled. "You always used to snore."

"I won't snore," Remus chuckled despite himself. He watched Sirius slip into sleep, and surreptitiously stroked the back of his head fondly. The wild black hair sprung back in protest, and Remus smiled at the boy. He really was very sweet looking when he was asleep.

Remus, knowing he was going to need his sleep himself, crawled into the transformed bed and quaffed the potion that Snape had given him. Even with the potion he slept fitfully, though, waking about every hour to check on Sirius. When he found that the lad was sleeping soundly on his stomach and snoring a bit himself, Remus breathed a sigh of relief.

The next morning Sirius woke to the smell of bacon and toast. He breathed in that smell until he felt his lungs would burst, and he felt reluctance at getting out of bed. He was so warm and snuggly! He rolled over in bed experimentally, and was relieved to find out he felt little more than stiffness across his back. Poppy knew her stuff.

"Breakfast?" he heard Remus ask. "Maisy offered to bring it into you."

"In bed?" Sirius smiled. "Great!"

"I believe you're good enough to sit to meals after this, though?" Remus asked him, a hint of worry on his face.

"Perfectly fine," Sirius answered. "I'm a little stiff, but not more than that. But I still want breakfast in bed."

"I'll join you then," Remus laughed, taking his plate from Maisy as she popped in and putting his food down on the desk.

"I don't think she'll attack while I eat breakfast," Sirius rolled his eyes. "I don't need a nanny."

"Be kind to an old man," Remus smirked, trying to keep it light. Neither of them needed to say her name to know who he meant. "I'm not sure my heart can take another encounter like last night."

"Your heart?" Sirius asked incredulously. "I didn't see a psychowitch whaling on your arse."

"Language, young man," Remus corrected with mock severity. "And let me ask you this - if you could have traded places with Lily and James that night, would you have?"

"Of course!" he affirmed.

"And that was the killing curse," Remus continued. "Why do you think I wouldn't be willing to do so for a little torture from your favorite cousin?"

"Okay," Sirius nodded. "I understand. But I'm not like, well, you know . . ."

"Like what?"

"Like your real son or anything," Sirius mumbled, looking away.

"Sirius," Remus said, his voice hesitant. "You sort of are."

"But you are just my guardian," he said, still looking away. "You couldn't even ask me what happened, Snape had to do it."

"I was distraught," Remus admitted. "Dumbledore was calming me down and talking me out of going and killing Bella as we spoke. Once he talked me down I just began crying, much to my shame. Snape seemed to be more able to . . . compartmentalize."

"I thought you didn't want to know."

"I wish it hadn't happened," Remus admitted. "That's different. Would you like to tell me what happened?"

"No," Sirius answered truthfully. "Thinking about it makes me feel vulnerable and small and hurt. But I can't get the images out of my head, every time I close my eyes I see the cane, and every time it's quiet I hear her laugh."

"Tell me about it then," Remus told him.

Sirius reached for the bacon and began nibbling on it. "Give me a minute," he told Remus, thinking.

Remus began to eat his breakfast as well, watching Sirius. When they had neared the end of their meal, Sirius glanced at Remus and began to talk. "I was attracted to her, just like last time," he explained. "I was Padfoot, and I found her. She told me I was going to pay the price."

"How did you feel?" Remus asked gently.

"I wasn't too scared at first," Sirius told him. "I, well I didn't think she could hurt me in a dream."

"You knew it was a dream?" Remus asked. "That's very unusual for being in a dream."

"I guess I did," Sirius nodded. "But then I was in my father's study, you know, where he used to . . ."

"Discipline you?" Remus supplied helpfully.

"Yes," Sirius nodded. "And she had my father's cane. She had told me that she was trying to decide between the crucio and the cane."

"With your taste of the crucio a while ago that must have scared you," Remus grimly observed.

"It did," Sirius admitted. "It seemed more serious. So I asked her what she wanted, hoping to be able to cooperate. She told me she wanted something hidden at the school and that she wanted me to bring her Harry."

Remus visibly paled. "Merlin sakes, Sirius."

"I know," Sirius agreed. "So, well, so I tried to be brave. I told her to do her worst. I told her to crucio me."

"Merlin's beard," Remus blinked.

"She didn't," Sirius told him. "I found myself bent over my father's desk in human form and stuck to it. She had my father's cane. She asked me how many he gave me, and I told her six to ten."

"And what did she do?"

"Told me I was getting fifty," Sirius told him, his voice wooden. "And then she beat me, and I was stuck until Dumbledore woke me."

"That's not the whole story," Remus told him, confused. "That can't be."

"It was," Sirius answered.

"I felt like you were with me that whole time until the beating," Remus told him. "And then you suddenly seemed . . . gone."

Sirius thought for a minute, and replied, "I was gone. My mind left my body, just like when my father caned me. I still hurt and cried, but my mind was somewhere else."

"You had to survive him," Remus told Sirius. "What you did makes sense."

Sirius looked at him, his expression stony. "But now it just feels like everything inside is like ice," Sirius told him in a small voice. "It's like everything froze when she made me cry. And in front of the other guys too."

"Crying isn't weakness," Remus told him, kicking himself for not believing the truth he knew in what he was saying.

"It's not just the crying," Sirius admitted. "It that she made me do it. My father couldn't break me. Do you remember that night?"

"I do," Remus answered, knowing exactly which night. "The night you got sorted."

"It's all fuzzy," Sirius replied in a young voice. "But I remember pain. And I remember fear. And I remember . . . hate. But I wasn't broken."

"Your father did his worst."

"The worst he ever did," Sirius agreed. "But he stopped. I knew he would injure me, but not kill me. My eyes had tears, but I didn't sob. I think in the end, even though he was angry, I think he somewhat admired my being strong."

"Sounds like it wasn't that way with Bella."

"No," Sirius told him.

"Do you think you may have felt frightened with Bella?" Remus asked him. "Like, you thought she would really hurt you?"

"She wants to kill me," Sirius told him. "If Dumbledore hadn't woken me up, she would have tortured me and eventually killed me."

"Snape and I tried," Remus told him in a helpless voice. "We couldn't do anything. We still don't know what curse she used."

"Which is why I'm here," Sirius nodded sadly. "You can't protect me at Hogwarts anymore."

"It sounds like that beating changed a lot for you," Remus told him.

"I wish it didn't," Sirius answered, sounding wooden.

"I would have felt frightened," Remus guessed.

"I was frightened," Sirius admitted, looking down. "But that's not the hard part."

"What was the hard part?" Remus pressed. He felt the heaviness of Sirius' emotions, and couldn't guess what Bella had done to him.

"The hard part was," Sirius began, his voice choking with tears. "The hard part was, that I felt relief."

"Relief?" Remus asked, incredulous.

"Yes, relief," Sirius choked out, looking away. "Relief in that the whole of my miserable life would be over. That I didn't have to rot in Azkaban for not protecting my best friend, that I was able to die in order to protect him this time. And, that I didn't have to worry anymore."

"Sirius," Remus spoke quietly, placing his hand on the boy's arm. He wanted to hug the lad, hug him tight to his chest, but he didn't think that Sirius would allow it.

"I didn't have to worry anymore about whether or not anybody loved me," Sirius blurted, the tears coming out in torrents. "I felt relief that it was finally over."

Remus patted Sirius' shoulder, letting him know he was there in the torrent of emotions. He tried to gently pull Sirius into a hug, but Sirius resisted. So Remus waited for Sirius to experience the torrent, just letting him cry.

"And you sit there all helpful and loving and like you're trying to hug me!" Sirius exploded at Remus. "But where were you when I really needed you?"

"Sirius?" Remus blinked.

"You never really wanted me!" he accused, blindly lashing out. "You want to get rid of me!"

"Now Sirius . . ." Remus began in a lecture tone.

"Don't you dare tell me that you love me!" Sirius sobbed, his voice raw. "Don't you dare! You've acted like you hate me!"

Remus felt at a loss of how to deal with this raving teenager. Calming draught? Body bind? Then he remembered one of the books he had read about parenting that Snape had given him - what had it said to do?

"I hear you," Remus answered calmly. "You don't want me to say that I love you."

"You're right!" Sirius yelled. "You think I'm nothing but an annoyance."

"I hear you say that I think of you as an annoyance," Remus answered as calmly as he could.

"You are a terrible father!" Sirius raged. "You didn't protect me!"

"You said that I'm a terrible father and didn't protect you," Remus answered. He itched to defend himself, to try and make Sirius understand that he did love him and want to protect him. But he realized that Sirius was not rational, and the book he had read said to do this with a child ranting.

"I hate you!"

"I hear you say that you hate me."

Sirius stood there, his fists clenched, and yelling so much that Remus worried he would burst a blood vessel. "Here," Remus directed, conjuring a punching bag. "Hit this."

Sirius lunged at the punching back, attacking it with his fists and grunting and yelling as his fists made contact. He punched the bag again and again, until he knelt on the floor, exhausted.

Sirius looked up at Remus, his eyes angry and hurt. "She's a real bitch, Remus," he said quietly. Neither of them had to acknowledge whom he was talking about.

"She really is," Remus agreed. "It's never happened to me, but I imagine that being held down like that and hurt like you were would feel very helpless and frightful."

Sirius nodded. "Don't you dare tell me that you love me," Sirius breathed in short breaths, looking away.

"I won't," Remus answered.

Silently, Sirius got up and left the room.

Remus watched him go, his stomach twisting with fear and sadness. What was going to become of this boy? Was he going to be able to ever feel safe? Had him reflecting back Sirius' words helped or made Sirius feel even more unloved? More than anything, he felt a strong desire to do right by the boy, and he felt completely at a loss for what that would be.

AN: What advice would you give Remus? I feel like it is very complicated with Sirius, and right now Sirius is lashing out at everything to try and make himself feel safe.


	21. Chapter 21 - Cocoa Conversations

Sirius sat in the library looking out across the yard. Fog obscured the trees enough to make them look like shadows in the mist, and he found himself just staring at the shapes as they blurred and emerged in the fog. He thought about how much this felt like his memories - foggy, uncertain, but emerging when it was the least helpful.

"Sirius," he heard Remus say as he entered the room. "You look like you're doing better."

Sirius looked away in shame, remembering the rage and the things he had shouted at Remus. How was he going to face the man? Why hadn't he hit Sirius or done something to stop him?

"I brought you some cocoa," Remus told him, pressing a warm mug into his hands. "I'll bet you're quite tired after all of that."

"'All of that,'" Sirius quoted, accepting the cocoa. "Is that what you called it."

"Do you have something else to call it?" Remus asked, sipping his cocoa.

"How about evidence that you should stop being my guardian," Sirius grumbled. "Or maybe just beat me half to death."

"Really, Sirius, I am far more creative than that," Remus joked, trying to lighten Sirius a bit. Sirius looked at him suspiciously.

"Are you going to punish me?" he asked, his voice small.

"Do you think you should be punished?" Remus asked thoughtfully, taking another sip of his cocoa.

"Yes," Sirius answered. "I mean, I was very disrespectful to you."

"You were," Remus agreed. "But I think we both know you needed to get those emotions out of you, they were killing you. How do you feel now?"

"Better," Sirius admitted.

"Sirius, this isn't an easy thing like you missing curfew and me giving you some lines as punishment," Remus tried to explain. "You have deep emotional stuff you need to deal with, and I'm glad that I was a safe person for you to do that with."

"Safe?"

"Safe," Remus confirmed. "You knew that you could lose control and that I wouldn't be frightened or offended. You told me how you honestly felt; the horror of being tortured by Bella as well as the horror at your relief of being released from it by death. You may not have told me in the most kind way, but I don't know if those feelings could have come out any other way."

"You're not mad?"

"No," Remus answered, his voice solemn. "In fact, I think we're finally getting somewhere in our relationship."

Sirius pondered that, sipping his cocoa.

Remembering something else he read in the book, Remus took a deep sigh. "You know, a lot of kids that are abused think it's their fault."

"They do?"

"They do," Remus answered. "I remember Snape saying that Harry thought his treatment by his muggle relatives was his fault. That if he'd only figured out how to be a better kid he wouldn't have been hit."

"Bella is crazy," Sirius told him. "That wasn't my fault."

"I'm not talking about Bella," Remus told him levelly. "She's not the only one to hit you with a cane."

"It was all he knew," Sirius answered, his voice cracking. "That's how our family has always done it."

"I remember a certain very unfunny prank that Harry played on us last Christmas," Remus reminisced. "He got Snape to act like he was taking a strap to him. He wanted to do it because he wanted to see if we would protect him from abuse. Severus had told him that we would, but he didn't think we would unless Snape beat him for a long time. He thought that we would think he deserved it. If I remember right it was only four licks before you broke down the door."

"But that was a prank!"

"It was," Remus agreed. "But you didn't know that. You were still an adult, and you heard Harry's father take a strap to him. Now, the strap is definitely a fearsome punishment, but I don't think it is quite as bad as the cane."

"That's different."

"So if Snape had used a cane instead of a strap you wouldn't have broken down the door?"

"No, it's different because he's Harry."

"A mischievous, cheeky ten year old boy."

"No," Sirius answered, tears beginning to form. "He's Harry. A wonderful, loving, and innocent child."

"We had no idea what he had done to incur Snape's wrath."

"It doesn't matter," Sirius insisted. "There should have been nothing he could do to get that kind of a consequence from his father."

"How is that different than you?" Remus asked.

"I'm, well, I'm . . ."

"You're a wonderful and innocent child," Remus told him firmly. "You were then too."

"Would you have broken down the door on my father?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"Absolutely," Remus answered.

Sirius fell silent, contemplating that picture.

"He would have hexed you," Sirius told him.

"You went up against bloody Severus Snape," Remus told him. "And many years out of practice. Are you braver than I am?"

Sirius smirked. "Maybe more foolhardy."

"I think it may have been a bit foolhardy to become a young boy again," Remus told him. "But it's done. And now we have to deal with these adult memories that are supposed to be remote and blurry still interfering in your life."

"Can we erase them?"

"We can," Remus told him. "But I worry that that will make you less, well, less you. Even a more permanent solution like removing them and storing them in a pensieve might do the same thing."

"I'd be willing to try," Sirius answered.

"There is another option," Remus explained. "Severus and I have been discussing it at length, and he has come up with a spell that might work. It's one that doesn't erase memories, but doesn't allow you to relive them."

"How does it work?"

"It's very tricky," Remus answered. "It can only be done by a master occlumens, so it isn't performed very often. Even St. Mungo's doesn't really have the capability to do this work. It is very tricky to allow memory but not a reliving of that memory."

"Can Snape do it? Isn't he some sort of master occlumens and spy?"

"He can," Remus agreed. "He's one of the few that can. Even Dumbledore says that he's a better wizard for the job."

"Can we do it today?"

"I would think you'd want to think about it," Remus answered carefully. "There might also be another benefit. It might weaken Bella's ability to access your dreams."

"If I don't like it, is it reversible?"

"I believe so," Remus told him. "In fact, I think you can reverse it yourself any time you want to."

"Then call the dungeon bat and get him over here," Sirius exclaimed. "I want to stop reliving those memories!"

"You will have to decide which ones," Remus told him.

"Everything from my previous life," Sirius thought aloud. "And Bella's torture."

"Everything?" Remus asked, surprised.

"Everything," Sirius answered. "I feel that too often those memories are interfering, even if they're good ones. I want to be a normal boy again. I want a chance to redo my childhood for real."

"I will owl him," Remus promised. "Let's see if he can come after classes today. But in the meantime I have something very serious to discuss with you."

"What is that?" Sirius asked, trepidation in his voice. "Is this where you order me over your lap?"

"Really?" Remus asked, completely exasperated. "Haven't we just established that I have nothing to punish you over?"

"I did yell at you."

"So instead of imagining all of the ways I could come up with to punish you, how about you just apologize to me?"

"Apologize?"

"Yes, apologize," Remus answered. "You should be somewhat familiar with the concept. I believe Snape apologized to you at one time."

"That was different," Sirius squirmed.

"Not really," Remus replied. "Just like him, you lashed out at someone and hurt them. With both of you it was based on past pain, but for both of you it is important to recognize that. When we hurt people we care about we apologize."

Sirius squirmed again, not sure why this was so hard. He really did feel guilty for yelling at Remus, he didn't deserve what he had said. Well, not much of it anyways.

"I'm sorry, Remus," he said quietly, his face down.

"Sorry for what?"

"I'm sorry for what I said," he admitted. "Most of it wasn't true."

"I'm not sure that's a great apology," Remus smirked at him.

"Well, you are not a sodding perfect father," Sirius told him with emotion but no malice. "There have been times you should have stood up to me and didn't, and times where you should have been kinder and were too harsh. You should have come and spoken to me instead of bloody Snape."

"You're right," Remus replied. "I should have."

"But even then I had no call to attack you like that," Sirius answered. "I think maybe part of what I was yelling wasn't really aimed at you, you know?"

"I do," Remus nodded.

"Because even though you aren't perfect, I think you're trying really hard to be my guardian," Sirius looked away. "And I don't hate you. And you're not a terrible father. I'm sorry for saying that."

"Thank you for your apology," Remus nodded.

"I still don't want you to say that you love me," Sirius warned. "I'm not sure if I'll ever be okay with that."

"I understand," Remus told him. "Really, I do."

"I'm a pretty horrible ward,' Sirius admitted. "But I hope that maybe with this thing Snape's going to do I'll be better."

"No," Remus shook his head. "If you are going to do this thing, it needs to be for you. I can handle angry, bitter Sirius forever if needed. Don't do this for me."

"Maybe it's for me," Sirius said quietly. "I want to be a better ward, I want us to get along better without me always either exploding or being afraid of what you'll do."

"Then that's okay," Remus agreed. "But it has to be for you."

"And I want you to care about me."

"I already do," Remus told him with exasperation.

"I know," Sirius answered. "But I mean to really care about me. To enjoy being with me, not to put up with me."

"This has to be for yourself," Remus insisted. "Anything else is going to backfire."

"Okay."

"Now, while we're waiting for Snape, I want you to open one of your Christmas gifts a little early."

"This is a lot early!" Sirius exclaimed, his eyes twinkling. "What is it?"

"Open it," Remus laughed, handing him a brightly wrapped parcel.

Sirius could tell it was a book as soon as he had it in his hands, so he looked at Lupin questioningly. Seeing the sparkle in Remus' eyes, he opened it and looked at the title.

"1001 Magical Pranks: pranks made simple for all ability levels," Sirius read aloud. He looked at Remus with eyes large with the possibilities.

"This year, we're going to take down Snape and Harry," Remus told him firmly. "And we have a few days' head start to plan. We'll call that a silver lining for being cooped up here."

"They won't know what hit them," Sirius grinned.

* * *

AN: In preparation for the upcoming prank war, I would like to invite readers to give suggestions and ideas that they think would make fun pranks. The pranks that make me laugh as well will get to be in the story and I will credit the reader who suggested it. So, if you are anonymous, just give me the name you'd like me to use. You can also PM me if you'd rather. Be creative! The next chapter is almost complete and will be up soon.


	22. Chapter 22 - Memories

Snape arrived with Harry promptly at four in the afternoon. It was their appointed tea time so Snape felt like he should bring the boy along, but also to let Harry assure himself that Sirius was in fact mostly healed from his encounter.

"You look okay," Harry told Sirius, but with a suspicious look on his face. "Are you?"

"I am," Sirius laughed. "Other than being bored and having the old man make me take potions, it's been fine here."

"My dad brought you your homework," Harry told him, gesturing to Snape. "Apparently torture doesn't excuse you from doing it."

"You would think it would!" Sirius grumbled.

"Since homework is beneficial only to yourself, I do not see why you would object to doing it," Snape smoothly told them. "Now then, has Remus discussed this spell with you?"

"He has," Sirius agreed. "Thank you for agreeing to do it."

"You must understand the risks," Snape pressed. "Were I less skilled I could lobotomize you. However, the risks you face or more about the emotional impact of not being able to relive the memories. You will have no sensory input from these memories, they will feel like facts you might read in a book. They will not come to mind unless you summon them. You will not eat ice cream and think about how you had the same flavor when you were ten, instead it will be more like you can remember it if you try to think of what you did at ten. And even then, you would not be able to remember how it tastes, just the fact that you ate it."

"I want this," Sirius answered him, desperation lacing his voice. "I need this. I'm not doing any good being stuck in my old memories."

"It will also involve me seeing some of the memories that hold the most power over you," Snape told him firmly. "I promise to not hold anything I see against you, but I imagine I am not your first choice of people to see times where you were frightened, embarrassed or hurt."

"You're not," Sirius blushed. "But you know what they say about desperation."

"Did Remus tell you that it also might be beneficial for blocking Bella?"

"He did," Sirius answered. "And anything I can do there I will do it."

"Putting your memories in a pensieve or even obliterating you would be more complete," Snape told him. "But Remus was afraid that you wouldn't be yourself. In some ways I understand what he's saying - and this is an option for you to retain your stories but perhaps free you from some of the emotional impact."

"Have you done this before?" Sirius asked.

"I have," Snape answered reluctantly, and in a voice that did not brook further discussion. "Even a few times on people other than myself. Let's just say that being in the service of the Dark Lord as a spy has caused me to have many memories that I felt like I needed to remember but did I wish to relive."

"I can see that," Sirius looked down seriously.

"You also need to be able to trust me," Snape told him. "It is a difficult thing to let me see the memories that are the most fraught with emotion. Mundane or pleasurable memories are very easy to occlude, but painful ones are the most difficult."

"I trust you," Sirius told him. "Can we do it before dinner?"

"Certainly," Snape inclined his head. "But perhaps we should warn your house elf that it may be delayed a bit."

"Are you sure, Sirius?" Remus asked one more time.

"Are you worried about it?" Sirius asked him. "This was your idea."

"Of course I'm a little concerned," Remus answered him earnestly. "But I do want you to be healthy."

"It will be fine," Sirius assured him. "Just, you know, stay with me while he does it?"

"Of course," Remus answered. "I wouldn't dream of leaving."

Sirius found himself lying down on the couch in the front room and a small flask of potion pressed against his lips.

"I thought it was a spell, not a potion," Sirius made a face as he emptied the flask.

"The potion is to relax you enough to let me in," Snape explained. "Your natural resistance to me would make it impossible otherwise."

"I trust you!" Sirius protested.

"You want to trust me," Snape corrected. "There's a difference. Now take your potion and no more complaints. Just lie back now, good. Just like that."

Sirius lay back, and began to feel the world around him spinning. He was glad that he was laying down, because he would have crashed to the floor otherwise. At first he resisted the spinning, and then he found himself enjoying it. Then the mist around him cleared, and he found himself in his father's study with Severus Snape right beside him. But this Snape wasn't the Snape who had spoken to him a few minutes ago, this Snape was how he appeared when he was twelve.

"Why am I a child again, Black?" Snape growled. "Trying to get revenge on me?"

"Not really," Sirius chuckled. "But you have to agree that it is pretty funny."

"I appear how you think of me," Snape snapped. "Is this really it?"

"Maybe," Sirius shrugged. "How do you think that I would appear in your thoughts?"

"Perhaps a clown," Snape growled. "Now, let's get started. I may look twelve, but I'm still myself. Is that clear? No pranks."

"No pranks," Sirius agreed.

"Now, where are we?" Snape asked, looking around.

"My father's study," Sirius answered with some trepidation in his voice. Even as he named it, the room became more detailed and more oppressive around him.

"Let's start with the easy stuff," Snape told him. "Can you imagine a box on the desk?"

"Why there?" Sirius answered, his voice quiet.

"I think we both know," Snape told him. "That feels like the emotional center for the room. I'm assuming the abuse took place there?"

"It did," Sirius replied, chagrined.

"All right. Think about a box."

Nothing happened, and Snape rolled his eyes in irritation. "Really Sirius? You control this space, every specification is based on your own mind. It's not that hard, imagine a box."

Sirius snorted in irritation, and then suddenly a largish, chest-like box appeared on the desk.

"Good," Snape told him. "Now give it a key and a keyhole."

After Sirius had done that, Snape went over and opened the box. "Now you are going to need to think about a memory that you want to go in the box. Imagine a sphere, and then imagine you can see what happens in the sphere. PIck something not too bad."

"How about coming to Hogwarts the first time?"

"Good," Snape nodded. "Now picture it in a sphere."

Sirius followed the directions, and suddenly found himself holding a ball like one of the ones that Trelawny used, and in it he could see himself as a child the first time getting on the Hogwarts Express and meeting Remus first thing. He saw them both as boys, and his heart swelled with nostalgia.

"This is going to take ten years if you relive everything," Snape sighed. "Put the sphere in the box."

Sirius found that he could do that, and when he let go of the sphere he felt a tiny bit lighter. "Is that all?" he asked Snape.

"It gets harder with stronger memories," Snape told him. "So let's work on more like that one. Do the same thing, picture it in the sphere and put it in the box."

And so Sirius did that. He thought of memory after memory, and placed them each in the box. The box never filled, but he just kept replacing them one by one.

"You only have to place the memories that you distinctly remember," Snape told him. "And you may come back and revisit this box if any other memory comes up for you that you want to put away. But we only have a certain number of memories that have the strength of emotion to cause us to relive them."

"I think I might be done with the easy ones," Sirius told him.

"Let's think of one of the harder ones, then," Snape told him. "What is one that is harder but not one of the worst? And for Merlin's sake don't do one about me to start. Maybe choose something less fraught with emotions, like maybe getting disciplined for something at school."

"That would be too embarrassing."

"I'm going to see all of your worst memories for this to work," Snape explained, exasperation in his voice. "Do you really think you can shock me at this point?"

"There was the time ol' McGonagall used the ruler on us," Sirius remembered. "Oh but wait, that was about you."

"She actually disciplined you?" Snape asked, shocked.

"Of course we would never tell you," Sirius told him.

"Let's see it then," Snape said neutrally. "Try to see if it can fit in the sphere."

Sirius created the sphere, and began to visualize the memory in the sphere. But the memory didn't cooperate - instead it just kept slipping out.

"I was afraid of that," Snape told him seriously. "Memories with too much negative stimulus in them can't be put in the spheres by you. I have to help you do it."

"How do you help?"

"You have to let me into the memory," Snape told him. "When I have enough to visualize, then I can help you trap it. So you have to make this room like what you remember."

The room was suddenly McGonagall's office, which had not changed dramatically in the past twenty years since the memory occurred. Sirius and Snape watched as the four marauders were being soundly scolded by their head of house, and then the protests and outrage they expressed as she brought out a ruler.

"I can't hear what they're saying," Sirius protested.

"You wouldn't unless it was very clear," Snape told him. "Memories are more about feelings than words. The next part will be clear."

And clear it was. Sirius blushed with embarrassment as Minerva took them one by one and bent them over the desk and smacked their backsides. Sirius felt pride and camaraderie as his fellow Gryffindors tried to shoulder their punishments with dignity and aplomb, and sympathy when they failed and instead began sniffing. He winced as the elderly transfiguration teacher, who had been only slightly more spry in the memory, was very business-like in administering their smackings. He wondered if Peter knew even then that he would betray his friends.

"Now take the edges of the memory," Snape instructed him. "I will help you. Fold it over like you would a blanket."

The directions didn't make sense to Sirius, but he focused on the words and found that he could in fact fold the memory over. He felt Snape helping, and soon it was folded enough to fit into the sphere without escaping. He then placed it in the box too, and it fit.

"Are you going to have to watch all of my most embarrassing memories?" he asked Snape. "This might take a while."

"Now that you know how to do it you can begin folding as soon as you set the scene," Snape explained.

"Then why did you choose that memory to teach me on?" he asked, incredulous.

"You're the one that made me twelve," Snape smirked. "I deserved to see it done. Oh come on, it wasn't that bad. You and your fellow miscreants took that punishment with true Gryffindor bravado. Now is not the time to get weak, we have a lot further to go."

Grumbling, Sirius selected the next memory. And so they worked, folding up memories and storing them in spheres. A problem didn't arise until Sirius decided to tackle the memory of the night he got sorted and his father beat him half to death with a cane. He created the scene, just as he had before. But then he froze, and the memory didn't come alive like they had before.

"I'm surprised it took this long," Snape told him. "You have an insane capacity to relive memories. You have finally found one that you've frozen."

"I froze it?" Sirius asked, worried. "Can I still do it?"

"You need to put feelings into if it's going to work," Snape explained. "And you need to put all of them too, not just anger."

"I did feel angry about that night!" Sirius objected.

"But you felt a lot of other things too," Snape told him. "Let me guess: helpless, misunderstood, righteous indignation, fear, betrayal. Am I close?"

"Yes," Sirius whispered. "But I can't put that into the memory."

"You can't put it away until you have it all," Sirius explained. Then, sighing, he pulled out his wand. "I think this is going to take Remus."

"Are you leaving?" he asked incredulously.

"Don't be a dunderhead," Snape snapped. "You would have no hope if I did. No, we're adding him not subtracting me." And, with a wave of Snape's wand, Remus appeared.

"You're needed," Snape told him. "Sirius doesn't trust me enough."

"I do trust you!" Sirius protested.

"You want to," Snape corrected. "That's different. It's not your fault, it's just the way it is. Remus, he needs you to be able to put the feelings into his memory."

"I remember this place," Remus observed. "When I went to visit you that time. Your dad frightened me."

"He frightened me too," Sirius admitted, and the picture shimmered a bit.

"And it was very unfair he punished you for the sorting," Remus told him. "It's not like you could control it."

The picture shimmered again, and then Sirius replied in a soft voice, "I asked it to put me in somewhere other than Slytherin. I did not want to become my parents. It was my fault that he beat me, I deserved it."

And with that, the picture creaked slowly to life, and the three watched as his father forced Sirius over the desk and summoned a wicked-looking cane to his hand. They could all hear him yell, even though they weren't able to hear the words.

"You can fold it now," Snape told them calmly, trying to remain neutral. Seeing his childhood nemesis beaten as such a young boy didn't mollify his anger at all, instead it pricked his sympathy. They only saw the first few strokes before they managed to get it folded, and Snape already felt sick to his stomach. And he knew it had gone on for much longer.

Sirius looked at Remus after that folded with embarrassment. "Do you need a break?" Remus asked him, concerned.

"I want to finish," Sirius insisted. "Let's do Azkaban next."

They folded up his prison memories, the roaring fight he got into with his parents that ended in his mother burning his portrait from his family tree, and the news of his brother's death.

"We were never close," Sirius told them as he folded it. "But I was still so sad. I think it was because I regretted what we should have been like."

"That's understandable," Remus told him, his own eyes brimming.

"And I felt guilty that my parents only had me left, they loved him so much."

"We are making excellent progress," Snape observed as they stowed that sphere.

"We only have a few left," Sirius told them. "There's me living in the forest after Azkaban, my kidnapping Harry, and then the beating Bella gave me. And then the big one."

"The big one?" Snape asked.

"Lily and James' death," Remus told him quietly. "That would be my worst memory as well."

So they quickly dispatched the other memories, and then faced the big one. Sirius shook with fear at facing it.

"I was there," Sirius said. "I knew it was Peter, and I pursued him. Maybe if I hadn't he wouldn't have killed those muggles."

"Let's see it then," Snape told him in a business-like manner. "This one's going to be hard on all of us."

And so the picture appeared, and little by little the picture came to life as Sirius admitted the fear, the anger, and the overwhelming grief of that night. Nobody suggested folding the memory early, and instead they watched transfixed as Sirius pursued Peter, bent on killing him. He had been an Auror, but at that moment he was a grief-stricken madman. None of them could watch as the muggles were killed, Peter disappeared, and Sirius was taken into custody.

"Fold it," Snape said weakly. "It will take all three of us."

And they found that they could fold that memory and put it in a sphere. Breathing a sigh of relief, Snape then locked that box and handed Sirius the key.

"You may open this box whenever you wish," Snape told him. "But the memories shouldn't bother you any more. You can now look at them without the emotions crippling you; they no longer have power over you. And you are in control, Remus and I cannot return here without your invitation."

"Thank you," he whispered, accepting the key.

"You're welcome," Snape nodded. "Now go and live your life."

* * *

 _AN: I really think Sirius needed psychotherapy, but being in the wizarding world and not wanting to write about the years it would take someone with Sirius' trauma to recover, I decided to make a wizarding metaphor for therapy. I only wish it were this easy in real life. What do you think?_


	23. Chapter 23 - Atonement

_AN: by popular demand, here is a Harry centered chapter. :) I know, I enjoyed it too. As far as the metaphor for therapy that I was trying for in the last chapter, it sort of breaks down a little here. But oh well, we all know if you have real problems you need real therapy. Aureo09, thanks for your persuasive arguments. :)_

* * *

Harry sat at the supper table with his father and his Godfather, and each was trying to carefully school their expressions. Sirius was tucked up in bed after being given a sleeping potion, though he had been so emotionally exhausted it had probably not been strictly necessary. Remus had invited them to stay, and Snape had suspected it had more to do with wanting to connect for himself than anything else.

"That was amazing," Remus said, stabbing one of the roasted potatoes. He was very grateful Snape had asked Maisie to prepare food for them while they were working with Sirius, or they would probably be eating sandwiches. As it was, the rosemary chicken and roasted potatoes and squash were very filling and comforting.

"I have never done it with a child," Snape admitted. "But I have to say that he did tolerably well. Especially given the fact that he had to let me see some of the hardest memories."

"He doesn't still hate you," Harry assured him. "He's just, you know, a little self-protective about stuff."

"Good to know he's protective of his 'stuff'," Snape drawled sardonically.

"You know what I mean," Harry flushed. "I mean, I know you guys had a history . . ."

"Indeed," Snape inclined his head. "We did. Interestingly enough, when I was in his head he saw me as twelve years old."

"Really?" Harry snorted. "Did he play a prank on you?"

"I explicitly forbid it," Snape answered severely, though his lips twitched just a bit in humor. "But there were several scenes of when we were twelve in his memories. I suppose it was somewhat . . . mollifying . . . to see how some of the scenes played out."

"Like watching us get the ruler from McGonagall?" Lupin smirked.

"That was one such memory," Snape replied, nodding. "I wonder what may have been different if I had known that had happened. I grew up assuming that you had gotten away with only the lightest punishments."

"Would you have felt differently if you'd known?" Remus asked with chagrin.

"I believe I would have," Snape replied. "It at least would have curtailed some of my revenge fantasies."

Laughing, Remus took another drink of his wine and offered more to Snape as well. The conversation drifted off, and they sat around content and full. Remus looked as if he wanted to ask something, and then decided against it. Harry was looking contemplative as well, and Snape sighed. It was better to get it out in the open. He finished his wine and crossed his arms over his chest, looking at his dinner companions closely.

"Go ahead and ask," he told them, sighing. "But just so you know, this is why I do not let people know I can do this."

"Ask what?" Remus asked innocently.

Harry nodded, and asked, "Why have you never offered to help me with my memories? I have many of them that I would like to not relive."

Sighing, Snape put his hand to his temple and tried to gather his thoughts. "I decided that I wouldn't offer it to anybody else," Snape explained. "I had tried to help a few people before, and there was a . . . cost to it."

"But you did it to yourself," Remus protested. "Was there a cost then too?"

"There was," Snape nodded. "I started doing it to myself while I was at Hogwarts and trying to deal with . . . memories that troubled me. I am a natural occlumens, and this technique is a form of occlumency."

"It is rare to be able to do this sort of technique without training, I should think," Remus told him.

"It is," Snape agreed. "I believe people have natural aptitudes for different things, like Harry for his broom. For me, it was occlumency, even more than potions."

"What was the cost?" Harry asked.

"I became . . . harder," Snape tried to explain. "We have pain for a reason, and memories, even painful ones, serve to shape our character. By putting them in spheres, I could ignore the pain and I developed . . . a reckless disregard for my very soul. Once, when I was a child, my father took me to a muggle dentist because I had a sore tooth. My mother could have healed it with her wand, but he had forbidden it. Well, they gave me an injection to numb the area, and then pulled the offending tooth. On the way home, my bottom lip was still numb and I chewed on it because it felt so strange and I didn't realize the damage I was causing. Of course, when the medicine wore off I was left with a horrible sore on my lip."

Remus nodded. "Is that how you became a Deatheater?" he asked gently.

"It is," Snape nodded. "And that created the need in me to occlude even more, and I was caught in a vicious cycle. The more I occluded, the more reckless disregard I had for my soul. There were times I even doubted that I had one."

"That is a dark place," Remus grimaced. "I feel the need to tell you again how sorry I am to give you memories that you needed to occlude."

"Thank you," Snape inclined his head. "I value how you've approached our being able to build a friendship on very rocky soil. But the memories that came after that were far more of a problem than some childish bullying."

"A similar thing happened to another person I tried to help," Snape continued. "So I've vowed not to do it again."

"What changed your mind with Sirius?" Harry asked. "Were you worried about him too?"

"With him, it felt different," Snape explained. "His memories were being occluded for a purpose - for him to be able to re-experience his childhood, not just to avoid pain."

"Is that good enough?" Remus asked.

"I also helped him with the hard memories," Snape acknowledged. "Instead of teaching him how to do it on his own. He'll have trouble doing that by himself, so hopefully any painful memories he incurs this time around he'll have to deal with like everyone else."

"How have you resisted temptation?" Remus asked him.

"Temptation?" Snape echoed.

"You have obviously stopped occluding your pain," Remus told him. "Probably for some time. How do you resist the temptation to do it?"

"I remember what I have to lose if I become numb again," Snape replied, looking at Harry and then back at Remus. "I almost lost my soul once, I don't want to risk it again. Being numb is an illusion, the pain lets me know that it is real."

"And for that I admire you," Remus nodded gravely, and then had a twinkle come to his eyes. "But not so much that I will have mercy in the upcoming prank war."

"No quarter will be asked or granted," Snape replied, his lips curling up slightly. "En garde, sir."

"You return in four days," Lupin smirked. "We will be ready for you."

. . .

Harry returned with Snape, and they decided that he would spend the night there because it was too late for Harry to go up to the dorm. Though Snape had made it sound like he was the stern father and not letting Harry be with his friends, they were both happy to be together that night. The emotional exhaustion Harry saw from Sirius as well as the memories stirred up for Snape made them both feel a little vulnerable, and they were happy for some safety.

Snape brought Harry in a cup of hot chocolate after he had changed into pajamas. "Only half an hour to read," Snape told him. "It's actually getting quite late."

"Actually, I had a question," Harry told him, sipping the hot chocolate. "There's something I don't understand."

"Yes?"

"I saw the beating that Sirius received in his dream," Harry admitted, looking down. "I saw the stripes appear, I heard his cries. How does that pain help him? Why not take it from him?"

"I did help him get rid of it," Snape sighed. "But I won't do it again. I hope I made the right decision in doing it the first time."

"I don't understand," Harry told him, troubled.

"Let me ask you this," Snape countered. "What would happen to you if I removed the emotion from every bad memory you have about your relatives. You would no longer flee to closets when frightened, you would no longer be grateful to be fed regularly, and you would no longer fear the strap from me. What would you be like?"

"It sounds wonderful," Harry answered honestly. "I think life would be easier."

"It would be in some ways," Snape nodded. "And in some ways it would the childhood you should have had. But at what cost?"

"What do you mean?"

"Would you have gone to such lengths to free Dobby if you hadn't been intimately acquainted with slavery yourself?" Snape asked pointedly. "Would you have been able to make a know-it-all muggle born girl and an awkward, overshadowed boy your best friends?"

"Maybe not," Harry admitted.

"And would you have been so desperate for a loving parent that you would be patient enough to endure me figuring out how to become one?" Snape asked softly.

"Of course I would!" Harry protested. "You're the best father! Well, I guess at first maybe not . . ."

"Hmph," Snape replied noncommittally.

"Okay, I understand a little," Harry admitted. "But then why do it to Sirius?"

"He was floundering," Snape told him. "He did not have the maturity or processing ability to be able to engage with his adult memories, and they were killing him. But I did take precautions, as I told you earlier."

"When did you stop?" Harry asked him quietly, sipping his cocoa and not making eye contact. "You said you stopped occluding the memories at some point and instead bore the pain. When did you do that?"

"It was with your mother's death," Snape admitted. "I had done many things prior to that that bring me great shame. But it was the fact that I had caused your mother's death, however unintentionally, that broke me. Perhaps it was unfortunate timing that I decided to stop occluding memories with the most painful one of my life, but I couldn't bear to do it. I felt as if it would be dishonoring her. I continued as a spy for Dumbledore after that in her honor, and sought something to heal my soul."

"Did you find it?"

"I was searching for atonement," Snape admitted. "I thought that perhaps with enough pain and the intention of doing good that I would have it. Nobody told me that the pursuit of atonement is empty, it is as empty as guilt."

"But you stayed good," Harry said awkwardly.

"Indeed I did," Snape agreed. "I was good. I spied for the good side, and I did everything I could to bring about justice to the evildoers. And I bore the nearly unbearable pain of my guilt and my grief for many, many years. But still I never found that for which I was looking."

"And what was that?" Harry asked, breathless.

"Love," Snape answered honestly, feeling a highly unusual prickling feeling around his eyes. "Friendship, family, peace. All of the things that my childhood friend's son brought into my life. Atonement is empty without the hope of love and connection. I had wanted to atone for my sins living the life of a social hermit, teaching children all day and rebuffing any overtures of friendship that came my way. Which, to be honest, were only made by the bravest people - I was not an easy man to approach. But then, I was brought up short by a young child with his mother's green eyes. And this child broke my heart as it needed to be broken, so that it could actually heal. Do you know what a shock it was to realize that I was wrong when I spanked you that first time?"

"Really?" Harry asked, riveted.

"It was," Snape admitted. "Here I was, the man who thought I knew everything. And I misjudged you, Harry, based on my hate of your father. And I learned that not only had I vastly misjudged you, but I actually had a spy living with me! For years! But that wasn't the greatest shock of all."

"What was that?" Harry asked, wondering about the Acromantulas.

"When I realized that I loved you," Snape answered simply. "And that love shattered the heart that I had and made it start beating again. And then I made a friend that had actually been one of my childhood tormentors! And I started actually dating someone that wasn't my childhood friend that I had placed on a pedestal! Me of five years ago would not recognize the changes I have undergone."

"I think I understand," Harry told him. "But I wish it had been easier for you."

"Good things are rarely easy," Snape told him gravely, taking the now-empty cup from the young boy. "Now go to sleep, Harry."

"I love you, Dad," Harry told him, sleepily nestling into the blankets.

"I love you too, Harry," Snape replied gravely.


	24. Chapter 24 - Pranks

A few days later Sirius awoke with Harry in his room. Rubbing his eyes, he saw the telltale messy black mop of hair peeking out from the covers on the other bed. With a whoop of happiness, Sirius launched out of his bed and landed square on top of his friend.

"You're here!" he yelled in joy.

"Ge' orf me," Harry protested, half smothered with his blanket. "Sirius!"

"Took you long enough to get here!" Sirius exclaimed, letting Harry come up for air. "Where have you been?"

"We got in late last night," Harry explained. "They told me to just go to bed and not wake you up."

"And you listened to them?" he asked, offended.

"Well, it was late," Harry snickered. "And you were sleeping like such a little angel . . ."

Sirius pounced on him again, but this time Harry was ready and twisted as he landed, pinning Sirius neatly. Sirius struggled, and then was able to flip Harry off him, and then pin him. The wrestling continued until they called an unofficial truce, tumbled together on the bed.

"Apparently Fred says they're tired of that fifth year they have playing seeker, and they have a plan for me to get on the team."

"That would be quite a trick," Sirius laughed. "First years don't get on the team."

"They think they can convince McGonagall," Harry explained. "They say with the quidditch cup at stake she might agree. That seeker they have now is abysmal."

"Good luck," he said.

"How about you?" Harry asked. "Are you all, you know, better?"

"Better," Sirius confirmed. "Whatever the old bat did to me worked pretty well."

"Watch it," Harry laughed. "I don't think he'd appreciate the 'old bat' comment."

"I actually do feel better," he told him. "I don't know, lighter. More like a kid."

"Good, 'cause you are one," Harry smirked. "But I need to know if you're, you know, on your game?"

"I'm on my game," Sirius assured him. "What's the target?"

"I certainly want to proceed with the prank war," Harry told him. "But some of the pranks should be, well, pranks with purpose."

"Purpose?"

"I have some ideas for the turban," Harry told him. "And I hope that you do too. Let's try them out so we can use them when we return to Hogwarts."

"I have some related pranks in my book we can go over," Sirius offered.

"You read?" Harry smirked at him.

"Enough to give you and Bat Britches a run for your money," he promised. "But yeah, let's talk about how to work in some turban pranks."

. . .

Snape woke the next morning, knowing that he needed to be ready for anything. The prank war was starting, and he knew that Lupin would want to fire the opening shot. he looked around the room, not spotting anything out of the ordinary. He took a quick assessment of his body and hair, and still nothing was out of the ordinary. He warily sat up on of his bed, and gingerly put his feet on the ground. Hmm, still nothing. Did he guess wrong about the timing? Was Remus just too tired to cast before breakfast?

Snape made his way to his closet, stepping gently on the floor and frowning in concern. Shrugging away his friend's apparent lack of initiative, he opened his closet to get his robes for the day. Suddenly what seemed to be thousands of small, extremely bouncy balls in bright Gryffindor colors spilled out of the closet and proceeded to bounce around the room. Grimacing at the opening shot, Snape pulled out his wand to banish the annoying things that just kept bouncing around his room. When he hit one with a vanishing charm, however, it multiplied into ten balls that bounced even faster than they had been.

 _Clever,_ Snape thought to himself. _He's getting better._ Within a few moments he had the balls trapped in a cloth bag, which he shrank and stowed for use later. _Those clever balls can be reused,_ he reasoned.

Remus woke up, scanning the room for pranks waiting for him. Severus was nothing if not consistent, and Remus knew to expect something. He looked suspiciously at a lump on the floor, and realized it was just his pants from last night. He sat up in bed, and noticed a couple of spheres hanging from his ceiling.

Nice try, he thought smugly to himself. I'll vanish them before they do whatever it is they're supposed to do.

Reaching for his wand, he quickly flicked a vanishing charm at the spheres. But instead of vanishing the spheres, the spells seemed to activate them. Suddenly, he found himself covered in rather stick glitter. _Touché,_ he thought. He heard Sirius' cry from down the hallway, and guessed he'd been doused as well. _And so it begins,_ he thought wryly.

At breakfast, Harry smirked over Remus and Sirius being covered with glitter. Snape acted as if nothing was amiss, but Harry did see a small smirk when Remus was picking glitter off of his bacon before he could eat it.

"Since young Sirius is fully recovered from his ordeal, perhaps we should consider an outing," Snape inferred. "Perhaps on brooms?"

"It is a bit chilly today," Remus agreed. "We'll have to dress warmly. Of course, we may not be fit for company in our present state."

"I think you look quite festive," Snape told him sardonically.

"I suppose," Remus agreed. "But less dignified."

"I believe your dignity may improve right after breakfast," Snape told him smoothly.

"That is good to hear," Remus nodded.

Snape took a drink of his morning tea, and suddenly frowned. He took a quick glance at Remus, and did not miss the subtle smirk he gave. Frowning, he wondered what the potion in his tea would do to him. He had to suppress his natural instincts and remind himself that it was highly unlikely to cause him any harm. The fact that there were anti-poisoning alarms came just before the self-assurance that Remus wouldn't actually hurt him.

"Don't drink the tea, Harry," he warned as Harry was adding sugar to his cup.

"I think that flying into Hogsmeade for hot chocolate is an excellent Christmas activity," Remus told him. "Hogsmeade is lovely this time of year."

Suddenly, Snape was singing the chorus to "Jingle Bells" loudly in his deep, baritone voice. Clapping his hand over his mouth, it was only by strength of will that he was able to stop the song from going forth.

"What a beautiful singing voice you have," Remus told him smoothly.

Snape's eyes half-closed in menace, but he didn't dare open his mouth until he felt the compulsion of the spell lessen enough to let him do it without singing.

"Would you like tea as well, Harry?" Sirius asked solicitously. "It's a special Christmas blend." Harry laughed, but he knew better. He was lucky Snape had drank first and recognized that it had been a potion.

At the word, "Christmas," Snape again broke into song, this time singing "Angels we have heard on high!" He managed to control it before the "Gloria" chorus to which he was quite relieved.

"A potion with a word trigger," Snape nodded once he was under control again. "Very clever. My guess is the twenty-four hour version?"

"Of course," Remus replied smoothly.

"The next person to mention the holiday gets a stinging hex," Snape glowered, though his lips twitched in humor.

"Does it work in Spanish?" Sirius pondered allowed. "Like, what would happen if I said 'Feliz Navidad?'"

Predictably, Snape started singing the song by the same title, and quickly flipped a stinging hex at the young hooligan.

"Ouch!" he protested with a laugh. It had been a stinging hex, but a very mild one. Snape wasn't playing mean.

Once they were all bundled up and on their brooms, they made their way out of the wards. The instant they left the wards Remus and Sirius' robes turned Christmas red with white, puffy trim.

"I'm Father Christmas!" Remus exclaimed happily. "How festive!"

They flew threw the air on their way.

. . .

That night as Remus was tucking Sirius into bed, Sirius rubbed his eyes and gazed at this guardian.

"Today was a good day, Remus," Sirius said, smiling.

"That Christmas song charm lasted longer than I thought it would," Remus told him. "I mean, it was meant to last twenty-four hours, but I would have thought Snape would brew the antidote by now."

"It's nice he's playing along," Sirius admitted.

"Wasn't it funny when Snape triggered it himself at the cafe?"  
Sirius remembered, laughing. "I thought he might kill us then and there."

"Well, you and Harry got us with the antler charm," Remus smiled. "Severus had quite an impressive rack."

"Why were yours smaller?" Sirius asked sleepily.

"I have less hair to transform into antlers," Remus explained. "And do you remember how Snape had large, black antlers and mine were reddish brown? That's how that hex works."

"It really has been a most perfect day," Sirius told him sleepily. "We got to fly, have hot chocolate in Hogsmeade, play two on two quidditch, and have an exploding snap tournament. And all that food Maisie made us . . ."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," Remus told him. "I had fun too. It's fun to be just a family together and not worry about anything else."

"I had fun too, Dad," Sirius said softly, and they both froze for a second.

Remus wasn't sure how to respond, though his heart squirmed in joy at the boy being able to finally use the word that had held so much baggage before.

"I'm glad, son," he answered softly.

"Will Fiona wreck the pranks when she comes tomorrow?" Sirius asked, concerned.

"Snape assures me that she's a good sport," Remus answered. "But he intends to have a talk with the three of us before she comes about what pranks are appropriate and which are not to play on her. I believe dire consequences may be threatened."

"She'd have great antlers," Sirius giggled.

"That she would," Remus smirked and agreed.

They were quiet for a moment, and Sirius asked in a very young voice, "Is it okay that I called you Dad?"

"It was okay," Remus assured him. "I was hoping you might at some point. I am very happy that you've chosen to do so."

"It just feels like I'm supposed to," Sirius sleepily mumbled, a smile on his face. "I mean, that's really what you are to me now, isn't it?"

"It is," Remus answered gravely.

"Then it's like telling the truth," Sirius decided. "Not many boys get the options of calling their dads by their first names."

"You're right, not many do," Remus agreed. "Good night, then."

"Good night," Sirius yawned, and then got an evil twinkle in his eye. "Tell Snape Happy Christmas from me."

"I will," Remus smirked back.

"We haven't heard Deck the Halls yet," Sirius laughed. "And tell him that we'll give him the antidote when Harry takes off the parseltongue curse on our hair."

Remus laughed, his hand going to his red and green sparkly hair. He thought next year they might have to make parseltongue charms against the rules, because it definitely gave team Snape and advantage.

"I think they'll just wait it out," Remus smiled. "After all, it should be gone by breakfast. Now, little pranksters need their sleep. We have plenty more pranks tomorrow."

Sirius complied, wondering if he'd ever felt this safe and this loved before. He was cuddled up in a soft bed in a cheerful house for the holidays, spending time with the people he loved the best. There would even be presents! Did it get any better?

"Happy Christmas, Dad," Remus heard Sirius whisper as he left the room.

"Happy Christmas, son," Remus answered with feeling.

 **. . .**

 _AN: I am going to be out of town for a week and a half for work, so I won't be updating probably during that time, just FYI. And yes, Maddierose, I see your comments. :) Unfortunately I can't PM commentators that aren't logged in and thank you for your comments. Prank credits: Jessiwazhere for glitter bombs and bouncy balls, quinipissa479 for hair pranks, and NNJJJ for making Snape sing Christmas songs and spells in parseltongue._


	25. Chapter 25 - Up in Flames

_AN: Special thanks to ScottishTeddy who betaed the Scottish dialect for me. I think Fiona's accent is so much better with her help! It's good to be back._

Harry and Sirius awoke the next morning, knowing that Fiona would arrive that day. Snape had already lectured them on appropriate pranks, saying that no pranks to Fiona was always an option. Harry and Sirius just nodded, appearing docile and obedient while flashing knowing looks to each other. Of course they would prank Fiona, they told each other.

Fiona joined them for lunch after settling her things into the spare room.

"Happy Christmas!" she told them, smiling. "'Tis good to see you two rascals."

"Happy Christmas!" Harry replied politely, elbowing Sirius as he gaped at her. Neither of them had seen her out of her healer uniform, and the black and white printed dress she wore made her look, well, like a woman. Both boys blushed at the thought.

"A'ken ye lads like sweets," she smiled at them. "Wid ye like tae decorate gingerbread wae me this afternoon?"

"Yes!" Sirius agreed enthusiastically.

"I ken a charm that makes the little men dance," she told them. "My granny used tae do it."

"Perhaps a walk in the snow would also be nice," Snape told them. "It's feeling as busy as Heathrow in here, the air would do us good. And I understand that Fiona also enjoys snowball fights."

"Of course I do!" she laughed. "But we have to agree to no magic, otherwise it's not any fun."

"Agreed!" Harry and Sirius laughed.

"We can take you!" Sirius said recklessly.

Then, with a nod to each other, Harry raised his wand and pronounced, "Inflamato!" while waving it at Fiona.

Harry however gaped in shock as Fiona's dress caught on fire with smoke filling the room. His mind froze with the result, his mouth gaping in shock. Fiona squealed in shock, trying to pat out the flames that were licking up her skirt.

Snape however, always on alert, quickly cast "Aguamenti!," drenching Fiona in water. The flames were out, and Fiona found herself blinking up through dripping hair. All eyes fell on Harry.

"It was supposed to change her dress to flame colors!" Harry protested, ducking his head from the rage that was building up in his father. "It was in the joke book!"

"Did you try it out on something else first?" Snape asked, his voice a deadly calm.

"No, sir," Harry admitted, looking down.

"Are you hurt?" Snape asked Fiona, his voice warmer than for Harry.

"A dinny think sae," she told him. "Ye got the water in time."

"Both of you to your room now," Snape told the boys in that same calm voice that sent shivers up Sirius' spine.

"I will be up in a moment, too," Remus agreed.

Sirius had to remind himself that Snape had promised never to physically punish him as they made their way to their room, but he also knew that Snape could be very scary even without the threat of spanking.

"I am so dead," Harry told Sirius, panic seeping into his voice. "Snape was telling me not to do pranks that were rude, and I lit his girlfriend on fire!"

"I don't think she was hurt too much," Sirius tried to assure him.

"Do you think Snape cares?" Harry answered, clearly panicking.

"I think he's going to do what he's going to do whether or not you panic about it," Sirius told him, trying to keep the panic out of his own voice. At least he wasn't the one to cast the spell, he reminded himself, and then felt guilty about that thought. He was just as much to blame as Harry, they had decided for Harry to cast it because he was better at casting.

Just then Snape swept in the room, barely looking at the boys. They both saw that he had a ruler in his hand, and they exchanged looks that were very close to the panic that Harry had been fighting.

"Bend over the desk, Harry," Snape told him in a cold, firm voice.

Harry obeyed, too afraid not to, but his stomach was twisting in fear as he did so. Snape was going to give him the ruler and not even give him the comfort of being on his lap? Tears threatened as he reached the desk and bent over it.

"You may find your guardian, Mr. Black," he told Sirius with flashing eyes. "Since I have promised not to deal with you in this way."

"Please, sir," Sirius protested. "It was an accident. You don't have to kill him."

"I will not kill him," Snape told him in that cool voice. "But I will impress upon him the foolishness of his actions."

"He knows that already," Sirius protested. "Please, we both do. We did not mean for that to happen."

"Then you let it happen through foolishness," Snape snapped back. "Which is nearly as bad. You will not be able to talk me out of this, Sirius."

Just then, a soft knock sounded at the door and Fiona walked in quietly, taking in the scene before her. She winced at the sight of the ruler, and nodded.

"Thank ye fir takin' ma safety so seriously, Severus," she told him softly. "As you see, I am clean and dry now."

"Are you well?" he asked, his voice somewhat strained.

"I am," she told him. "It was a childish prank gone wrong, but I am glad that ye were so quick on the draw or I may have been a wee bit singed."

"I am thankful you are well," Snape told her formally. "Now leave for a minute while I deal with the perpetrator."

"He's no really a perpetrator," Fiona scoffed at him, and then looked at the waiting Harry with sympathy.

"He deserves this," Snape told her stiffly.

"A wid niver want tae interfere with your fatherly duties," she assured him. "But I canny help but wonder if that might be enough. He knows he deserves it, look at him Snape. He's terrified but is letting you do it because he knows he deserves it."

"Then if everyone agrees, I shall commence."

"But it's Christmas," she told him softly, dimpling sweetly. "If you do this thing that he deserves, then he goes to bed with a smartin' bottom and ye are in a foul mood."

"I would be in a fine mood!"

"Yir always foul and cross when ye have tae discipline the lad," Fiona told him. "And that is nae how I want tae spend our first Christmas together."

"What do you suggest, then?" Snape asked her, frowning as he looked at the ruler.

"I suggest that you let the knowledge of what he deserved be enough this time," she told Snape. "Let me talk with the lads and see if we can sort out our differences. Remus has already agreed."

Snape snorted, "His son wasn't the one who cast the spell."

"Please, Severus," she asked him softly but without begging.

"What makes you think I have any power to resist what you ask of me?" Snape asked her softly, setting the ruler down. "I will let you talk to the boys, and I'll decide if I will mete out more punishment after that."

"Thank ye, Severus," she nodded, and watched him swoop out of the room.

"Ye may get up now, Harry," she told him softly, and Harry complied. He could barely believe how well she had handled Snape and gotten him out of trouble. Although, he wasn't sure he was completely out at this point anyway.

"We are very sorry," Harry told her quietly. "And we're very happy you weren't hurt."

"Luckily Severus was there to rescue me," she told them, her lips twitching. "But I wanted to ask ye lads if ye're feeling any resentment towards me for intruding on yer all-Dad party."

"Not at all," Sirius assured her. "In fact, last Christmas we were remarking how we needed a woman here."

"And you make my father softer," Harry told her, sporting a cheeky grin. "Do you think I would have gotten out of that any other way?"

"Now I will nae be dain' that on a regular basis," she told him seriously. "I have nae problem with a naughty lad put o'er his father's knee."

"Thank you for this time," Harry told her sincerely. "He looked ready to blister me something proper."

"Well, you did light his girlfriend on fire," Sirius reasoned. "That does tend to, you know, bring it out in a man."

"I suppose," Harry grinned.

"Ye're welcome for this time," she told him. "But promise me ye'll no use a spell on a person before practicing it? I was quite fond o' that dress."

"I'll pay for a new one," Harry offered, somewhat chagrined.

"My dad is very good at repair," Sirius offered.

"I wis able tae fix it," she told them. "But the smell o'smoke will take a while tae be rid of. But thank ye both fir offering. Now I want that promise."

"We promise," they both replied, looking down.

"Good, now one more thing," she told them and raised her wand. Harry reflexively reached for his wand, and then forced himself not to. Whatever hex she chose to punish him with was his own fault.

"Inflanito!" she commanded, flicking her wand at their hair. Instantly, the hair on the heads of both boys looks like it had burst into flame, but felt normal to the touch.

"Wicked!" Sirius exclaimed, touching Harry's hair.

"If ye need help wae pranks just lemme ken," she told the boys. "I believe that's the one ye were attempting, Harry."

"It is," he admitted, awed.

"It should last an hour or so," she told them. "When it ends, come find me and we will see about those gingerbread men, aye?"

"Aye," they both answered with large smiles.

"You still want to do that even after we set you on fire?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"O' course," she answered, dimpling. "Now I think both of yer fathers would like a word. Sirius, come w' me and Harry, I'll send yer father in tae ye."

"Thanks," Harry told her, and watched them leave. He smiled thinking of Fiona, he was now sure that it was going to work having her as part of the family.

Snape swept in the room, pinning Harry with a piercing gaze as he stood above him, his arms crossed.

"So did she pass your test?" Snape asked him calmly.

"Test?" Harry echoed, looking innocent.

"I no more believe that you accidentally mispronounced that spell than I think you're dumb enough to believe that you had fooled me," Snape told him sharply. "Did she pass the test?"

"She did," Harry admitted.

"And I can assume there will be no more of that?"

"No more," Harry promised. "I just, well, I really wanted to know what she would do."

"She's a good woman, Harry," Snape sighed. "She wouldn't hurt you."

"She'd never been truly provoked before," Harry answered.

"No more provoking her," Snape told him sternly. "Or you'll feel my displeasure."

"Am I going to feel it today?" Harry asked, a little nervous.

"You deserve it," Snape told him. "Lighting her on fire! The very idea."

"I would have put it out before it hurt her," Harry assured him. "I was just, you know, giving you a chance to rescue her."

"And you think I need your help with romance?" Snape asked him sardonically.

"It can't hurt," Harry laughed, cheeky. But then he sobered, and asked, "Would you really have given me the ruler bent over the table?"

"You would have deserved it," Snape reiterated, but then his lips twitched slightly. "However, I did not believe you would have received more than a swat or two before being rescued."

"In the future, can it please always be over your lap?" Harry asked. "You just were so, well, cold that it scared me a little."

"Alright," Snape agreed. "But since I was doubting you were going to receive a proper whacking, I thought I could at least give you some of the fear of one."

"I suppose that was fair," Harry admitted. "But if you knew what I was doing, why did you not confront me in front of Fiona?"

Snape sighed, looking at the young man in front of him. "To what purpose?" Snape asked him. "Just because I know what's happening doesn't mean I always need to stop it. You needed to feel safe, and so you set up a scenario that would answer your question. If I had thwarted that, you would have felt less safe and made Fiona more suspicious. If you needed to know what she would do at the cost of infuriating me and risking your backside, who was I thwart that?"

"My backside is safe, though, isn't it?" Harry asked again.

"It's safe," Snape told him. "But Harry, please remember this: if I had decided you needed to be punished for it, nobody could have talked me out of it. I will not have you applying to Fiona to get you out of justly deserved discipline. I allowed things to transpire this way this time, but I will not do so again. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Harry assured him. "And thank you."

"You're welcome," Snape nodded.


	26. Chapter 26 - The Proposal

_AN: Special thanks to my Scots Beta Scottishteddy. She's a whiz at making Fiona come alive! And don't worry, the focus of this story isn't Fiona, just a theme for the holidays._

Harry woke on Christmas morning and threw his pillow at Sirius.

"Wake up!" he yelled at his roommate. "It's time!"

"Time?" Sirius echoed groggily.

"Christmas!" Harry yelled at him, leaping out of bed. "Hurry! No lie in today!"

"It's far too early," Sirius told him, blinking to clear his eyes as he looked at the clock.

"It's not!" Harry protested, then looked at the clock. "Well, maybe a bit early. But let's sneak down at least and get a look."

"Okay," Sirius agreed, grumbling. "But if we get sent back it's all your fault."

"Agreed," Harry nodded. "I take full blame."

The two boys snuck into the main room that held the Christmas tree. They saw the tree, all warm and lit, with the plate of gingerbread men doing their merry jig around the plate. Presents reflected light off their foiled papers, and then Harry sucked in his breath as he spotted Snape and Fiona sitting on the couch together. Harry was about ready to give himself up, knowing that Snape would be able to sense he was in the room anyway, when he realized that Snape was looking flustered. Interested, Harry and SIrius froze and watched.

"I am so glad you were able to come for Christmas," Snape told her, his voice hitching slightly. "I didn't realize you rose so early."

"Well, 'tis a strange bed," she told him sweetly. "And since I was awake, I thought I'd hae a look a' the tree. It's prettier to read out here."

"That it is," Snape told her, his face soft. "I, well, I had the same thought myself. Would you like some of the tea I ordered?"

"Thank you," she sipped the cup he offered her. "I wonder what the lads have in store for us today."

"There's a ban on pranks for today and Boxing Day," Snape explained. "So it should be peaceful."

"As peaceful as it gets with those two," she laughed. "But I'll wager they're up soon."

"It is very early," he told her with chagrin.

"Well this gives us a cozy moment before the lads join us," she smiled. "'Twill no be long."

"I, well, actually I was hoping for a moment alone with ye, Fiona."

"Hoping for a Christmas kiss?" she asked, smiling sweetly.

"Perhaps," Snape answered, his voice soft. "But I also wanted to ask you something else."

"Yes, Severus?"

"Well you know, surely you must know how ardently I love and admire you," he told her softly. "This past year with you, I have no words to say how much I have enjoyed our relationship together."

"I feel the same, Severus," she told him, her voice soft and warm as well.

"I want us to be together for the rest of our lives," he told her softly. "Fiona, will you marry me?"

Fiona, gasping in surprise, began to cry as she flung her arms around his neck.

"Are you alright?" he asked her with some concern.

"I am fine," she told him, wiping tears from her eyes.

"You haven't yet answered my question," he told her, his lips twitching. "It is a good thing I know you cry when you're happy too."

"Yes!" she answered, hugging him again. "Yes! The answer is a thousand times yes."

Snape brought out a small box, his hands slightly shaking as he did so.

"Aren't ye' supposed to be on a knee at this point?" she asked him, rapidly gathering her wits together.

Chuckling softly, Snape bent down on one knee, opening the box and offering her the small ring inside.

"It was my mother's," he said with emotion. "Not her wedding ring. It was my Grandmother's wedding ring, but I remember my mother wearing it as well."

"It's beautiful," she breathed, looking at it. "It looks brand new."

"Easy enough to polish it up a bit," Snape replied with a smile. "May I put it on you?"

Fiona eagerly put out her hand, and Snape slipped the ring on her finger. He flicked his wand, instantly sizing the ring to fit her perfectly.

"Now, about that kiss?" he asked her, drawing himself up beside her while still kneeling on the ground.

Fiona eagerly met his kiss, and soon she was enfolded in his arms.

Harry and Sirius, in shock but really not wanting the Potions Master to catch them, silently crawled back from their view and made their way up the stairs as quietly as they could. When they were both in the bedroom, Sirius burst into laughter.

"Who knew bat britches had it in him?" he laughed.

"Does that mean she's going to be my mum?" Harry asked, dazed. "I mean, I guess this means they're getting married."

"Generally it does," Sirius smirked. "Fiona's not so bad, really. She'll be fine."

"Will Dad love her more than me?" Harry asked, his voice pinched. "What if they have a baby? Oh Merlin, then he'll have a real son. I mean . . ."

"Well, she'll be his wife," Sirius explained. "It is different. But you know, he had you first. Even if he has another kid. And all that stuff he's always saying to you, no, I think you'll be fine. You could always ask him."

"Ask him?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Yeah, ask him," SIrius said. "It's not such a strange idea."

"Go up and say, 'Sorry Dad for spying on you as you proposed to your girlfriend, and now I want to know if you're going to make babies to replace me?"

"Well, maybe not quite like that," Sirius answered, fighting back a smile.

"Will he want me?" Harry asked, his voice cracking slightly. "I mean, he can have a real family now."

"And you're his imaginary family?" Sirius asked sarcastically. "Seriously, Harry, go and talk to the man."

"I just don't know how to bring it up."

"If you don't talk to him you'll do something to get his attention and then he'll probably spank you, you'll cry and then finally tell him the truth. Right?"

"How do you know that?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"Oh please," Sirius rolled his eyes. "Save your backside and just go and talk to the man."

"I don't want to ruin his blissful kissing," Harry shot back. "Maybe when he comes up for air."

"Your funeral," Sirius rolled his eyes.

Harry decided to just scowl and grumble for the next half hour until they decided that they could emerge from their room. By then, however, they found Remus was up and congratulating the newly engaged couple.

"Harry! Sirius!" Remus called to them. "Come and hear the good news! Severus and Fiona got engaged this morning!"

Harry allowed himself to be jostled forward by Sirius, but couldn't fake excitement. He just felt that this was the beginning of the end. No more father that loved him, no more house, no more prank wars . . .

"Aren't you happy, Harry?" Remus asked him. "Now you'll have two parents."

"Until the baby comes," Harry spat back, and suddenly the room fell silent. He felt Snape's eyes on him, but didn't look up.

"My study, now," he heard the cool voice of his father command.

"Yes, sir," he answered, not even sure how he found his voice.

Wordlessly, he followed his father into his study, and felt his stomach clench as he pulled the door closed. Snape walked softly to his chair and sat behind his desk, facing an angry Harry who was just barely keeping tears in check.

"I see that news of my engagement has not been the most welcome news to you," Snape observed carefully.

"You should have told me!" Harry protested, trying hard to fight back the tears.

"Most men do not consult their sons on proposing to their girlfriends," Snape answered him calmly. "What's really bothering you, Harry?"

"You are!" Harry answered, now yelling with his fists clenched. "You have no right!"

Snape sighed, pushing himself away from his desk and motioning to Harry. Harry obeyed, standing next to him and waiting to see what the man would do.

"You need to cry," Snape told him calmly. "You can either sit on my lap, have a good cry and then tell me what's going on or you can bend over my lap and I'll give you reason to cry."

"You can't spank me if I didn't do anything wrong!" Harry protested.

"I believe I can if you just insinuated that Fiona was pregnant."

"I didn't mean that!" Harry protested, flushing. "I only meant that . . . well . . . I meant that when you have a baby together . . . that I won't really be . . ."

"Be what, Harry?"

"Your son," Harry blurted, tears now escaping his eyes. "Once you have your own son you won't want me anymore."

Harry felt his father gather him into his arms and gently pull him onto his lap. He snuggled against his father's chest, letting the tears come. All the fears he had of Snape not wanting him anymore bubbled to the surface, and he began to sob.

Snape just held the boy on his lap, wrapping him in his arms and murmuring comforting sounds to him. Harry eventually was able to calm the sobbing down, but still snuggled into his father's chest. He felt embarrassed at the amount of crying he did, but also felt relieved that his father had given him permission to do it.

"Now can we talk about it?" Snape asked softly.

Harry nodded, his breath hitching a little.

"I can see that you're worried that adding Fiona to our family will make you less important to me," Snape told him softly. "And that the possibility, and let me assure you that that is remote, of another child supplanting you in my affections. Is that correct?"

Harry just nodded, accepting the handkerchief that Snape held out to him.

"Your fears are certainly rational," Snape told him. "Though I have done everything to assure you of my continued affection and relationship with you, we have not ever discussed what it would be like for me to marry. So I apologize for springing this on you, I should have prepared you better."

"It's okay," Harry hiccupped.

"But I also think that I've been pretty clear as to my intentions towards you," Snape told him. "I have adopted you, not decided to let you stay with me like some exchange student. I am your father, and nothing could change that even if you wanted to change it."

"Really?" Harry sniffed.

Snape sighed. "I'm going to give you lines if you can't remember this simple fact. I love you. I will always love you. There is nothing you can do to make me not be your father any more. And certainly adding someone like Fiona to our family is going to do it. I have room in my life to love more than one person, Harry."

"You do?"

"Well, do you love more people than me?" Snape asked.

Harry nodded. "My friends, Ron and Hermione and Draco. And of course Remus and Sirius."

"What if I said that I was worried that you couldn't love me anymore because you were becoming too good of friends with Ron and Draco?"

"That would be silly," Harry laughed at the picture of it. "It's completely different. You're my dad."

"And you're my son," Snape insisted. "It doesn't matter whom I marry, that is still the case."

"Really?"

"Of course," Snape answered, patting him softly. "I also had hoped that you had grown in some affection for Fiona. She is very excited to be your stepmother, Harry."

"I'm not really sure what it's like to have a mother," Harry answered. "Aunt Petunia wasn't really that for me. Maybe for Dudley, but not for me."

"Well, she's never had a son before either. I think you will both figure it out."

"I do like her," Harry admitted. "She's funny and nice, and she makes you nicer too."

"I believe you're right," Snape smiled.

"Promise me that you'll still love me even when you're married," Harry asked, looking away.

"Of course I promise," Snape told him, hugging him. "And I don't break my word."

"Then I should have let you spank me," Harry said. "It would have been unjust, and I would have gotten 200 galleons."

"Scamp," Snape laughed. "Now let's go have some of that breakfast Maisie fixed us and maybe open some of those presents."

"What should I say to Fiona?" Harry asked him, nervous. "I mean, I didn't mean to imply that she was pregnant before you were married."

"She's a parson's daughter," Snape told him. "She would not appreciate you implying she was immoral. Perhaps you should start with an apology."

"Will she like me?" Harry asked.

"Of course," Snape assured him. "She will love you. She already does, you don't have to be anything except Harry."

"Maybe we could wait a while," Harry told him.

"Courage, young Harry," Snape replied. "She won't bite."

Harry followed Snape out into the room, and Harry felt all eyes on him. He knew they were speculating what had happened to him, and he tried to walk in such a way that communicated that Snape simply talked to him, not punish him or hold him while he sobbed.

"Fiona," he said bravely. "I would like to apologize for my rudeness. I did not mean to imply anything about you, I was having my own problems."

"Thank ye fir ye apology," she told him softly. "'Tis a brave person to admit they're wrong."

"Congratulations," Harry continued. "I am excited to have you as a stepmother."

"Thank ye, Harry," she told him, tousling his hair with affection. "I ken it's hard tae have yer family change, thank ye for being so kind about it."

"I want this to work," Harry smiled at her.

"And did yer father force ye to apologize?" she asked with a glance at said father.

"He did not," Harry told her sincerely. "He just listened to me and - er - hugged me for a bit. When I was afraid of what to say to you he said I might apologize."

"I see," she told him. "With that look on his face I thought you might be reprimanded most firmly."

"Na," Harry smiled at her. "If he spanks me harshly or unjustifiably he owes me 200 galleons. It's too much money to risk."

"Indeed," Snape solemnly inclined his head. "Though there have been times I weighed if it was worth it."

Fiona laughed, and patted Harry's shoulder. "Then let's get on with our Christmas," she invited. "You should see the cinnamon buns that Maisie has made."

And with that, they did. They ate the lavish breakfast put out by Maisie, they unwrapped gifts together, and then went outside for a snowball fight which Sirius and Remus lost miserably by underestimating Fiona's cunning.

As the day wound down, Harry and Sirius found themselves being tucked into bed by their prospective fathers.

"She's going to be a good stepmom," Harry told Snape sleepily. "Anybody that can throw a snowball like that has to be good."

"It's time I got a stepmom too," Sirius teased Remus. "It's not fair that Harry gets one."

"Good night, then," Snape told them both. "I hope all the fudge you two consumed doesn't interfere with your sleep."

"Sleep well," Remus told them. "We've had a busy day."

"That we have," Snape agreed. "Good night, boys."


	27. Chapter 27 - New Year's Dreams

_AN: I hope people enjoyed the Christmas vacation, because it is time to be back to business. In this story we will have occasional chapters dealing with other issues with Harry and Severus Snape himself is getting his very own chapter near the end, but of course the main focus will continue to be Sirius._

* * *

New Years found Sirius at the Burrow, and he found himself feeling a bit out of the celebrating mood. He didn't know why, but for some reason the hoards of people all counting down for the midnight just didn't sound like much fun for him. He yawned uncharacteristically and looked over the crowd. He saw Fred and George in an animated discussion with McGonagall, and assumed they were again trying to convince her to let Harry try out for the team. She was a stickler for the rules most of the time, and their passionate pleas about the quidditch cup were not proving convincing. At one point they disrupted poor Quirrell's cup of punch all over Madame Hooch, and she shooed them away.

As he scanned the crowd, he wondered if he could just go up to his bed instead of waiting for the countdown. He had really had such a pleasant vacation - better than any he could ever remember. The pranking had been so much fun, as well as the fun food, the snowball fights, and all of that. But that had not been the best part, not by far. He would blush to think of the best part - he could hardly admit it to himself. But that feeling when he had called Remus Dad, and that feeling he had when it was okay with him, well, he couldn't describe that. He had never felt that way before, not even with the man he was supposed to call dad.

He rubbed his face, putting down his empty punch cup and leaning back. Maybe if he just found a quiet corner for few minutes . . .

Sirius found himself as Padfoot again, in a quiet forest with mist. His first reaction was panic at being in this state, was Bella going to attack him again? He was going to resist any compelling charm that snuck his way.

 _Wake up!_ he commanded himself. _Wake up!_

"It's hard to wake up from a sleeping potion," he heard Bella's voice come from behind him.

"Bella," he greeted her, nervous.

"Sirius," she replied. "It is good to see you again."

"Likewise," he lied smoothly.

"You seem much recovered from our last encounter," she told him wickedly. "I hope I wasn't too hard on you."

Sirius thought fast, thinking of what Snape had advised him last time. _Think like a spy,_ he told himself.

"Your, er, punishment convinced me," Sirius told her quickly. "You don't have to do that again. I will do what you want."

"Finally a Slytherin!" she cackled. "I knew you had it in you!"

"So what is it that you want at the school?" he asked. "You said something was guarded?"

"We are not giving you any information until I know for sure you are with us," she replied briskly. "But I will tell you how to get past the traps we know about so far."

"I will do whatever it takes to earn your trust," Sirius lied. His stomach twisted, what was he going to have to do?

"Then we can do some work," she giggled at him. "But I want to make sure of your loyalty."

"How?" he asked nervously.

She brandished her wand. "Let's have a peek, shall we? Legilimens!"

Sirius felt her reaching into his mind, but also found it effortless to keep her out. Snape had explained the basics of occlumency to him and Harry, but he had been able to enter Sirius' mind like it was guarded by tissue paper. Why was he so much stronger here?"

"Let me in!" Bella commanded petulantly. "How can you, a mere child, keep me out like that?"

So Sirius did let her in, but he chose which parts. The barriers were easy to erect. He let her see the sadness and hurt he experienced under Remus' care, the distance he felt from Harry at times, and his longing for his childhood that made him rashly choose to become a child again. He even let Bella see that time where Remus had so disastrously punished him, and the humiliation and loneliness he felt from that episode. He easily blocked apologies, reunification, warmth, and love. He put extra barriers around the holiday break, but he showed her the abandonment that he felt when Remus had been too upset so he sent Severus to interview him about what had happened.

"There we are," she smiled, not realizing the memories that were missing. "It looks like the werewolf has not been an exemplary parent."

"He was a good friend," Sirius told her, feeling utterly disloyal at what he said. "But parenting, especially a child like me, well . . ."

"I know your own parents had enough trouble with you," Bella cackled. "Do you think there's something wrong with you that makes it so hard for people to love you properly?"

"Undoubtedly," he replied, trying so hard not to show her how her words affected her.

"So I see you're unhappy," she told him. "But nothing enough to make you really ready to betray your kind."

"You didn't see it?" he asked her. "The constant scrutiny? The not listening to me? The horrific experience of actually spanking me as if I was a toddler? That wasn't enough?"

"No, not for you," she cocked her head to the side.

"Then maybe you could believe that I want revenge on Saint Potter!" he yelled, feeding the emotion that rose within him. "He gets the guardian that knows what he's doing, the one that understands him! Potter would rather be with Snape than with anyone else, and Snape feels the same. _Snape adopted him!_ And now, I'm supposed to be playing a part in being one of his adoring fans. I'm supposed to be part of the plot to get him on the quidditch team a year early because he can't wait a bloody year like the rest of us peasants! I am not his bloody sidekick!"

"Now that, I believe," Bella told him. "Jealousy is an emotion that could bring you to our side."

"I didn't even know I had all that in me," Sirius told her honestly. "But believe me that I want to do what you say. I would do anything not to be bent over that bloody desk again."

"Ahh, the power of persuasion," Bella cackled. "But I do want you to have a kiss of the cruciatus just to motivate you. Just the merest of kisses, mind you, we don't want to damage any of your precious nerves, you will need them."

"I don't need any of the cruciatus," Sirius protested. "Really, I'm fine."

"And that's where you're thinking like a Gryffindor again," she told him. "Never believe what people tell you. And never put your trust where you haven't given sufficient motivation. Think of this as motivation."

Sirius gulped in fear, feeling his limbs tremble. He knew there was nothing he could do to get out of this - there was no escape. He braced himself.

"Crucio," she announced as if she were announcing the most delectable dessert ever.

The spell hit him, he could feel it working on his extremities, but he had that same sensation that he had had with the legilimens spell - he could block it without even trying. But Snape's voice also echoed in his head, reminding him that Draco had played the part of a spy and had saved Harry. Sirius fell to the ground, pretending to writhe in pain.

"No, stop!" he begged, remembering what he had done and felt the only time he had felt the crucio.

"I will stop," Bella told him, her eyes bright. Sirius didn't even want to speculate on why her eyes looked like that while torturing him. "But not until you have enough of a taste to not want it again."

"Enough!" he called, gasping. "Enough!"

She did stop then, and watched with those same bright eyes as he gasped and tried to catch his breath. He didn't know when he had changed to Sirius, but he found himself as Sirius curled up and trying to catch his breath. Sirius realized that only part of it was an act, the emotional cost of meeting with her was almost as bad as if she had used the crucio.

"Now I end it," she told him. "When I choose. Remember that, this doesn't end until I say it does."

"I understand," he choked out. "Thank you."

"Now you'll start working on how to get that object."

"What is it?" he asked, appearing to pull himself together.

"It's the Philosopher's Stone," Bella told him. "And very precious to our plans. You are to retrieve it from the protections over it at Hogwarts. And in the process we will work out a plan to let us get ahold of your little Quidditch player."

"Potter," Sirius answered. How could he face even faking this?

"But for now, my darling cousin, I am glad that you have come round to our way of thinking."

"Who is our ally at Hogwarts?" Sirius asked. "Just, you know, in case I need something and can't find you."

"All in good time," she answered with a cackle. "No use getting ahead of ourselves. Now, wake up."

Sirius swam and dove through the sleep, and emerged with a choke and a gasp on the other end. He was back at the party, people cheering as the countdown had just ended. He heard traces of that strange New Years song, and Fred and George were setting off some sort of noisemakers. He took several steadying breaths, trying to clear his head of the sleeping potion he realized must have been in the punch he had drank. Who had given him the punch? He couldn't remember.

But for now, he did realize two things with startling clarity. One, he realized that Snape was right, folding away his memories loosened Bella's tie to him and made it so she could no longer hurt him in his dreams. And second, he was now the best hope Harry had to survive whatever his crazy cousin and her unnamed ally had cooked up for him at Hogwarts. And, he realized with chagrin how much those two facts pointed to how much he owed to bloody Severus Snape.


	28. Chapter 28 - Spy

_AN: We are within 5-6 chapters of this story wrapping up, I just wanted to give a warning. :) I've started a new fic called The Year of Neville which is a bit darker, but have a look if you're interested._

* * *

A plan was afoot, Remus could sense it. As he sat near Snape at breakfast on that cold January morning just a few days after returning from break, he found himself surreptitiously watching his ward carefully.

"What do you think it is this time? he asked the Potions Master beside him.

"Not sure yet," Snape answered with a critical gaze. "But the Weasley twins are involved, as is Malfoy. Hermione and Ron, of course."

"Do you think it's such a good idea to be encouraging all this plotting?" he asked with chagrin.

"Why ever not?" Snape asked him, genuinely confused. "Wouldn't you rather they learn it when it's a harmless prank so they know how to do it when it really matters?"

"Perhaps," Remus conceded. After all, it wasn't like he didn't have his share of intrigues and plots when he was a boy at Hogwarts. "I just wish I knew what it was."

"My guess is quidditch," Snape answered him calmly. "The twins have been applying to Minerva to let Harry try out for seeker to replace the abysmal seeker that Gryffindor has this year. The next game is against Slytherin and is in two weeks, so I expected some stunt this week to show Harry's prowess on the broom."

"What do you think it will be?"

"Merlin knows," Snape answered in a huff. "One can only hope we don't see my son flying through the dining room doing aerial acrobatics in front of the entire student body."

"There they go," Remus observed. "The principal players are leaving, and Harry just nodded at Draco. The game is afoot, then."

"Shall we get a better view of the proceedings?" Snape asked, wiping his mouth fastidiously. "I have a feeling we might wish to see this."

"Of course," Remus answered, getting up himself. "Let's just hope they don't bloody kill themselves."

Snape and Remus quietly followed the children, far enough back that they would not be suspected. As Snape had predicted, the twins, Ron and Harry got their brooms for a seemingly innocuous pre-class fly around. Hermione waited on the ground, her wand-hand at the ready. Remus watched the drama unfold - Draco had fetched McGonagall on some complaint about the brutish Gryffindors, he had no doubt. When he was talking to her as they made their way to the quidditch field, he could see Draco in pure Malfoy manner - aristocratic, offended and calculated. McGonagall clicked her heels as she walked angrily, assuming to catch her first years in some mischief.

Hermione saw McGonagall coming, and then began to send up charmed snitches she had duplicated all over the field. Remus counted at least twenty snitches flying, though a true count was difficult as they moved so quickly. The twins then began beating the bludgers and passing the quaffle between them and Sirius, setting up the conditions of a real game. Remus saw that Ron was helping too, but having a more difficult time of it. Harry saw the course they had set up and took a deep breath - _I can do this,_ he told himself. He watched for when Minerva would be just in sight but not having the chance to order him to come down and answer Malfoy's complaint. When she was at that perfect moment, he began his dive.

Remus held fast to Snape's arm without even realizing he was doing it when he saw Harry start the dive. He had seen the boy be reckless on the broom, but this was bordering on insanity. He dove steeply and scooped up one of the snitches, then pulled up just before hitting the ground to do a corkscrew around a bludger, then did a reverse backspring off of the goalpost and grabbed another. He then did a large circle around Sirius, missing the quaffle and the bludgers as he did, and grabbed yet another snitch. By the time he had rounded up all the practice snitches, he righted himself on the broom and looked down at McGonagall, who was standing there with her mouth agape. He had tried his hardest to show what he could do, he only hoped it had been enough.

"Get down here, Potter!" he heard Malfoy yell at him. "As I told McGonagall, it is not fair that you get extra practice time and the Slytherin team doesn't! And your bullying ways aren't going to change that, Sirius!"

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, please follow me," McGonagall ordered in a clipped tone.

Exchanging looks, Harry and Sirius landed and did their best to look chagrined. They both knew that they had done their best to show McGonagall how good Harry was, and they were both now in trouble for being reckless on their brooms. And they were first years too, technically they shouldn't have been flying without Madame Hooch supervising. But she didn't say anything to Ron . . .

The boys struggled to keep up behind her clicking shoes. She made her way to Professor Quirrell's class, and Harry got that uneasy feeling he always got with that man. What was McGonagall going to do to them? Sirius was a bit calmer, but still watchful and careful. He knew he had been on the bad side of McGonagall before, but he knew it took a lot more than a little underage flying to incur her wrath.

"Professor Quirrell, may I please borrow Wood?" she asked, her voice still full of tension.

Harry gasped in shock. Was McGonagall going to cane him? Sirius looked at his friend with worry, didn't he know that McGonagall was a pushover? Why was he acting like he was about to be executed?

When Oliver Wood, captain of the Quidditch team, was introduced to Harry, Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

"I have found us a new seeker," McGonagall told Wood, her eyes shining with happiness. "As well as a new chaser."

"Me?" Sirius asked incredulously. "But I'm a first year . . ."

"You should have seen them both," McGonagall told them, her voice bright. "I'm telling you, Wood, with these two we are going to win the cup!"

"But you have enough chasers . . ." Sirius protested.

"Angelina was injured last week at practice," Wood explained in his thick Yorkshire accent. "Her wrist, and Madame Pomfrey says it's complicated. She might be out the rest o' the season. If Professor McGonagall was impressed enough by you two to let you play despite being first years, I am no' one to argue. I want to see you two after class at the pitch."

"We'll be there!" Harry promised him.

"Now you two get back to class," McGonagall told them warmly. "And I will give you official permission to practice on your brooms whenever you want to without supervision. The supervision really is just for the youngsters that don't know their way around a broomstick, which obviously doesn't apply to either of you two."

"Thank you, professor," Harry answered eagerly. "We are so excited to be on the team!"

"Just beat Slytherin in the game in two weeks," McGonagall told them. "I couldn't stand it if Snape has reason to brag again this year. You two are our best hope."

"You do know Snape is my Dad," Harry protested.

"But you're a Gryffindor now," she told him, her eyes gleaming. "Yes, he will rue the day, I tell you."

. . .

Sirius and Harry found themselves at practice that afternoon, being put through harder paces than they had ever been. Sirius had only the vaguest of memories of playing quidditch in school, and most of them focused around playing games and the excitement of it. He did not remember how muddy and cold it was to be flying around the pitch in January, trying to catch every quaffle that came his way. He even scored several times against Wood, which Sirius thought would have made the boy angry that Sirius beat him to the score. Instead, Wood would chuckle maniacally every time and say, "Take that Slytherins!"

The practice ran later than Sirius and Harry had anticipated, and they were both hurrying to have tea with their respective fathers. Sirius found himself out of breath and not a little disheveled as he got to his father's office.

"Busy day?" Remus asked the child in an inane voice as he arrived.

"Was it ever!" Sirius replied with vigor. "I'm on the quidditch team!"

"You don't say?" Remus answered, keeping his face impassive. "How did that happen?"

"Fred and George hatched a plan for Harry to get on the quidditch team by demonstrating how awesome he would be as seeker. I helped them, and in the process McGonagall was impressed with my ball skills as well. She wants me to play chaser until Angelina is better."

"That's great news!" Remus enthused. It had taken a calming draft and an hour of meditation before he could get that picture of Sirius and Harry risking their lives to impress McGonagall on the quidditch field out of his head. He was trying to be enthusiastic, but was afraid it still sounded fake.

"Are you alright?" Sirius asked him, looking at him closer. "You look a little . . . odd."

"I'm fine," Remus answered. "Just you know, a little concerned. About your safety. The other students are going to be much bigger and older than you."

"It's not like I'm a beater," Sirius protested. "And Wood says they're going to use extra protective spells on Harry and me to keep us safe."

"Quidditch is a brutal game," Remus answered, then raised his hand against Sirius' protest. "But I have decided to let you play. But if at any point I think you're in too much danger I will rescind my permission."

"You would?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"I would," Remus answered firmly.

Remus expected Sirius to react petulantly, protesting Remus' authority and throwing a fit. Instead, Sirius cocked his head and asked in a cheeky tone, "Do you think quidditch is more dangerous than Bella?"

Remus choked on his tea, and fought back his laughter. "No, I don't," Remus laughed. "But if I could rescind my permission for her haunting you, then I definitely would do so."

"I wish it were that easy," Sirius agreed, wiping his eyes in mirth. He didn't know why that was so funny, but maybe it was just the stress of everything plus the excitement of making the team that somehow unhinged him. And it just seemed completely ridiculous in his situation for his guardian to be worried about something as mundane as a quidditch accident.

"Remus, I have to tell you what happened at New Year's," he told him softly, sobering from his laughter. "I had another dream."

"Another dream?" Remus asked, surprised and shocked. "Why didn't you tell me? Did she hurt you?"

"She couldn't hurt me," Sirius told him. "She tried, but it didn't work. I faked it, though, she doesn't know it didn't work."

"Bella is dead clever," Remus told him. "And not easy to fool."

"Well, I did," Sirius told him, a little pride creeping into his tone. "And I was a spy, just like Snape told me to do. I know what their plans are, or at least part of it. They're looking for the Philosopher's stone. And, of course, Harry."

"Why tell me now?"

"I meant to before," Sirius told him. "I just, well, didn't. But I didn't mean not to."

"It's okay," Remus told him, sensing the defensiveness. "It's okay. You're not in trouble."

"I think that thing that Snape did for me did cut her off," Sirius told him. "She couldn't invade my mind either."

"Thank Merlin for small mercies."

"I think I can do this, Dad," Sirius told him. "I think I can be a spy like Severus said. I think I can protect Harry."

"You're such a little boy," Remus told him, his hand tousling his hair. "How can you do something like this?"

"I'm not so little," Sirius told him. "And I have you to help me."

"That you do," Remus told him. "Let's see if we can make some plans. We need to talk to Severus."


	29. Chapter 29 - Antlers

Going back to Hogwarts after the Holidays was usually very sad for Harry, but this year it was different. Besides his triumphant entrance into Quidditch, the plans Sirius and he had made about Quirrell's turban focused and excited them, and Harry could hardly wait to try them out. Neither of them doubted the need for the conquest of Quirrell's turban, though Sirius did think a little bit about the consequences. He knew that hexing a teacher would be considered a serious infraction, though he doubted Dumbledore would expel them. They would just have to work in some plausible deniability. But he flinched at the probability of their respective fathers handling the discipline, even though he tried not to let it change what he wanted to do.

"Have you talked to Draco and Hermione about their roles?" Sirius asked Harry at breakfast the day of the planned turban attack.

"They've agreed," Harry told him. "I think we're all set for dinner."

"Have you thought about how this is likely to end for us?" Sirius asked quietly. "Are you sure this is what we want to do?"

"I'm sure," Harry answered. "But if you've changed your mind, I understand."

"You know I'm always up for getting in trouble," Sirius smirked. "I don't think they're going to expel the great Harry Potter, and they have to punish us both the same, so it's not too bad."

"Extra lines? Detention?" Harry pressed, smirking.

"Handwriting practice and something to do. Not so bad."

"Spanking?"

"Well, not my favorite, I must admit," Sirius smirked. "But it's not like it hurts like a cane. I mean, ol' Remus just doesn't have it in him to be like, well, mean about it."

"Well, I'm glad you see that he means well, anyway," Harry smirked. "I talked to Ron too, we're all set."

"Operation turban, all the way," Sirius clapped his hands together. "Here comes Ron now. Merlin, does he know his hair's sticking up like that?"

"Mornin'," a sleepy Ron greeted them. "Back to work."

"Ready for tonight?" Sirius asked him.

"Hmm?" Ron asked, scratching his head absently.

"Tonight," Harry repeated patiently. "Remember, the thing?"

"Oh, the turban thing?" Ron asked.

"SHHH!" Harry shushed him.

"Cool, I've got it," Ron replied, waking up a little in anticipation. "But I was thinking how you guys have it set up - aren't we going to get caught?"

"Plausible deniability," Harry answered with a smirk. "The only link they'll have to us is the fact that we did it to our dads over Christmas."

"You changed Snape's hair into antlers?" Ron asked, incredulously. "Merlin's balls!"

"And lived to tell the tale," Sirius smirked back.

"You two are turning into my brothers!" Ron said, admiringly.

"Don't worry, even if we're found out your part shouldn't be a problem," Harry told him. "It should just be me 'n' Sirius getting in trouble."

"You can be pretty casual about getting in trouble," Ron commented, sitting down at the table and dishing up his food. "Snape scares most people."

"Most people don't know how warm and fuzzy he really is," Harry laughed at them. "Seriously, though, it will be fine. If I get caught and if Snape thinks it's bad enough to warrant a trip over his knee, I doubt he'd even use the ruler."

"It still smarts," Ron protested, not believing.

"This is something you probably don't really understand," Harry answered, suddenly serious. "This isn't just a prank, this is something I feel, well, compelled to do. I'm not sure why, but we have to get the turban off him."

"Antlers, huh?" Ron asked, his mouth full of scrambled eggs. "What's the plan if this one fails?"

"We have a few more ideas," Sirius told him. "But first one first. It got the best results with the adults we tested it on."

"Thanks for letting us participate but remain neutral," Hermione commented as she dished herself up some fruit. "And it's good to have Draco involved again too."

"You guys are Switzerland," Harry joked. "On the surface you're innocent, but really you've been helping Nazi's hide plunder."

"What?" Ron asked, confused.

"World War II," Hermione replied, sitting down with the boys. "Oh come on, I know we don't study muggle history here, but surely you know something of World War II?"

"Germany was bad, right?" Ron asked, wracking his brain.

"Pathetic," Hermione shook her head and dishing up some of the fruit salad. "You think wizards would want to know something of the history of the muggle world they live in . . ."

"I know something!" Ron insisted. "They make chocolate in Switzerland! And . . . cheese. And . . . cows . . ."

"Oh, come on!" Harry laughed. "Okay, let's pipe down before someone gets suspicious. Now, everyone remember your part."

. . .

Remus walked into the dining hall that evening, and his senses prickled. He wasn't sure if it was the furtive glances his ward sent to him or if it was the overly-casual way that Harry was sitting, but something was going on. He tried to act casual himself as he took his place sitting next to Snape, who also seemed to be carefully observing the boys. Perhaps they were just on high alert after the quidditch plot.

"What do you think it is?" he asked Snape, knowing the man sensed it too.

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough," Snape answered grimly. "There's others involved, but our two are the principles."

"Prank?" Remus asked suspiciously.

"We can only hope it's not a bad one," Snape nodded. "Oh here we go, it looks like Draco is involved too. Why would he be approaching the table?"

"Professor Snape," he respectfully inclined his head. "I am having a small problem that I was hoping you could help me with."

"Oh?" Snape asked curiously.

"I need to fire-call my father at once on a . . . private matter," he managed to sound slightly nervous, but not shakey. "You said that I could use the floo in your office if I needed to call my father."

"Of course," Snape nodded, wiping his mouth. "I am done with my breakfast, now would be a convenient time before class."

"Thank you," Draco nodded.

Snape left as requested, thinking that Harry would probably not start what he was doing unless he was gone. Remus then saw Ron and Fred horsing around, and Ron threw a ball to Fred that rose erratically, flying towards Remus. Suspicious, he glanced up and saw Hermione with her wand out directing the ball right at his tea!

The tea splattered all over him, drenching his robe. He looked sharply at Ron and Fred, who were the picture of contrition.

"Merlin, I'm sorry professor!" Ron exclaimed. "I'm not sure why my throw was so wild!"

"It's alright, Mr. Weasley," Remus told him, reaching for his napkin.

"I'm sure you have time to change before your class," Ron supplied hopefully. "At least you don't have to stay in your wet robe."

"You're right," Remus nodded. "But I expect you to be more careful and not throw balls in the dining hall," he added in a stern voice.

"I won't do it again, professor," Ron promised.

Remus, realizing that they were trying to get rid of him, complied. Or at least make them think he was.

Sirius and Harry watched the progression of the plan, and then nodded to each other. Now was the time to make it happen. They both pushed themselves out of their chairs and went over to where Quirrell had just stood up from his breakfast.

"Professor!" Sirius called to him. "Harry and I have a question that we hoped you could answer."

"A q-q-q-question?" Quirrell stuttered. "W-w-w-w-. . ."

"It's like this," Harry said. "I've been working on that curse that turns your hair into antlers, I read about it in a book. But Sirius won't let me try it on him unless he can block it, can you block it with a normal shield?"

"A s-s-s-s-" he stuttered.

"I can do a shield," Sirius explained, not letting him answer the question. "But will that block it? I don't want him to do it unless I can."

"Shielding is c-c-c-c-"

"Let's show him!" Harry exclaimed with enthusiasm. "I could use the help anyway."

"This is not the p-p-p-"

"Antioculatia!" Harry commanded with authority, flicking his wand at Sirius. Instead of shielding, though, Sirius just ducked. The spell, aimed a little high for Sirius anyway, hit Quirrell square in the chest. The man had been surprised by the hit, he had not even had time to raise a shield.

Quirrell shouted in dismay as two tiny antlers poked through his turban and grew on his head. They were the color of honey and very fine, standing at most two inches off his head.

"What d-d-did you do?" he yelled, his hands flying to his antlers.

"We're sorry, professor," Harry answered sincerely. He didn't say that he was sorry the antlers didn't rip the turban off his head.

"Those are small antlers," Sirius remarked, clearly disappointed. That's when he realized that the man's eyebrows were gone. Apparently he didn't have much hair at all up there, so the spell used his eyebrows and any other available body hair.

"Y-y-y-y-y-" Quirrell spat, his face turning purple in rage.

"It's easily countered," the cool voice of the Potion Master assured him from behind Harry and Sirius. "Finite incantatem."

The antlers shrank and Quirrell's eyebrows returned, and Harry and Sirius looked back to Snape with fear in their eyes. Did he know?  
"I was out of the room with Malfoy and I needed to return unexpectedly," Snape explained smoothly. "Shall I take these miscreants to their head of house?"

"Yes!" Quirrell spat, pulling his wand and quickly repairing the holes the antlers punched in his turban. He couldn't speak more due to his stuttering, so he managed a glower instead. Harry saw something in his eyes that scared him just for a second - something slithery, like snake scales. He shivered involuntarily.

"I will take care of this for you then," Snape nodded, taking hold of one shoulder for each of the boys. "They know better than to practice magic in the dining hall."

Both boys hung their heads in fake contrition. "We're really sorry, Professor," Harry told him."

"It was an accident," Sirius added. "We're sorry."

"Come along boys, let's not bother the professor any more," Snape directed. "I believe Professor McGonagall is in her office at this hour. And oh look! Professor Lupin has returned as well."

He cast Remus and exasperated look, and Remus didn't even ask but followed them out of the dining hall. Once they were out of earshot of everyone else, Snape said calmly, "I'm glad that hex was accidental, because if it had been intentional McGonagall would have no choice but to suspend you. However, since it was accidental she may decide on a less severe punishment."

"Yes, sir," Harry replied to him, understanding the message.

"Good," Snape nodded. They remained silent as he escorted the two to McGonagall's office.

"Severus?" she asked in surprise as she answered her door. "What are you all doing here?"

"I'm afraid we've had some problems at breakfast," Severus explained.

"Come in," she invited. "Should I call for tea?"

"I've had enough tea this morning," Remus answered, wondering what the plan was that they needed to get him out of the room.

"Harry and Sirius will explain it," Snape said, with a significant look to Remus. "Remus and I won't interrupt. Neither of us were in the room at the time."

"Well, we wanted to ask Professor Quirrell about blocking the antler spell," Harry explained. "We'd read about it in a book and thought it might be fun to use to practice defensive shields. And so we thought we'd demonstrate, you know, on each other?"

"Only I ducked instead of shielding," Sirius explained. "Completely my mistake. It was unfortunate that Professor Quirrell was right behind me. The spell hit him instead of me by accident."

"Did you give Professor Quirrell antlers?" McGonagall asked, her eyebrows high in surprise.

"We did," Harry answered remorsefully. "But luckily my dad came in at that time and reversed the spell for him."

"That was lucky indeed," McGonagall nodded. "So he is fine now?"

"He was repairing the holes in his turban as we speak," Sirius assured her.

"Had you boys cast that one before?" she asked, her eyes suspicious.

"Not really," Harry answered smoothly. "I mean, we've played a little with it before, but not like what happened to Professor Quirrell. I didn't think I could do that."

Snape looked to Remus, who seemed ready to protest the lie Harry had just told. Snape caught Remus' eyes, and then gave him a barely perceptible shake of his head. Remus saw that, and nodded. They would sort it out at home.

"This is very serious," she told the boys with her voice low and serious. "You two have hexed a professor, however inadvertently. And you both admit to performing magic outside of the supervision provided in class."

"We're sorry," they both mumbled, looking down.

"You both behaved very recklessly, and you were lucky it was a curse so easily countered," she looked at them both severely. "If you had intended to hex your professor I would have had no choice but to suspend you. But since it was accidental, I will give you both each a choice of being suspended for three days or letting your perspective father and guardian to deal with your discipline."

"I choose my dad," Harry agreed, not looking up.

"And I choose my dad too," Sirius agreed, shocking everyone over his use of the term.

"Very well," she nodded, trying not to embarrass the child by being shocked at his calling Remus dad. "I also expect a list from each of you on when and where you may and may not practice magic on the grounds of Hogwarts. Dismissed."

Each boy followed his dad to their rooms. Before the foursome would part, however, Snape whirled around with no notice, bringing both Harry and Sirius up short.

"Really?" he sternly told them. "You thought I wouldn't see through your machinations? As if I didn't notice your nervousness this morning? How dare you send me away!"

"We wanted to give you plausible deniability," Harry answered, fully honest. "If you were there you may have felt obliged to stop us."

"And I would have," Snape agreed, the honesty somewhat mollifying. "Were you even prepared to get caught? You should have thought of the story for McGonagall before you're being marched there."

"We thought that it wouldn't be a problem because we made it look like an accident," Sirius explained.

"At least this was far better executed than the Fluffy debacle," Snape conceded. "But you two still have a long way to go."

"We will do better next time," Harry promised.

"See that you do," Snape nodded. "Now we need to discuss punishment."

"But surely you won't . . ." Sirius began his protest.

"We have to and we will," Snape interrupted. "This was in lieu of you both getting suspended, Remus and I don't have a choice."

"We didn't endanger anybody!" Harry protested. "We had planned it better!"

"Which is why you aren't getting the ruler," Snape nodded. "Another debacle like the Fluffy one and I'd be tempted to use the cane. I'm thinking ten swats with a hand over the trousers, do you agree Remus?"

"Sounds fair," he agreed.

"Any decisions to go back and take a suspension instead?" Snape asked, arching an eyebrow sardonically.

"Well, in the face of that harsh of a punishment . . ." Harry joked, though he did seem a bit nervous.

"They will be firm smacks," Snape assured him. "But you perhaps don't need over many of them. I believe we will take our leave of you, gentlemen."

Sirius watched them go, and then turned towards Remus. "Not too firm?" he asked, his voice having an edge of nervousness to it.

"Not too hard," Remus agreed. "But you do need to figure out how to do what you want to do without getting suspended."

"I'm not sure why Harry wants the turban thing so bad," Sirius explained. "But he really wants to do it. I'm more along for the ride."

"Then make sure you steer him towards things that will not get expelled," Remus told him as they entered their chambers.

"I'll try," Sirius agreed.

"Would you like your punishment right off?" Lupin asked. "I think Snape already gave you the lecture."

"I guess so," Sirius replied, trying to look nonchalant but in reality his stomach started flipping. "If we must."

"I believe we must," Remus told him. "If it hadn't been the alternative for suspension, though, I'm not sure I would. But it is better than missing school."

"Why is hexing a teacher so bad?" Sirius asked. "I mean, three days seems pretty harsh for a pair of tiny antlers."

"Well, I suppose it's because it's very important to keep law and order in the school," Remus reflected. "The children outnumber the faculty and could overwhelm them pretty easily, so we need them to be just a little scared of us. Keeps it safer."

"I guess," Sirius shrugged.

"Would you get in more trouble for hitting Harry or hitting Professor Trelawney?" Remus asked.

"Professor Trelawney, of course."

"Same for hexing," Remus explained. "Alright, time for your spanking. Over my lap, please."

Sirius felt childish reluctance, but not the fear he could barely remember feeling before. He also knew that there was no talking him out of it, because Snape and he had agreed. So, he put himself over Remus' lap and squirmed a bit to get comfortable.

"Ten smacks," Remus told him, folding up his robe and then placing his left hand on Sirius' back. "No more getting suspended from school."

"Technically I didn't get suspended," Sirius protested, and then the first smack fell. Sirius yelped a little, but didn't fight.

"Don't be cheeky," Remus told him, his mouth twitching as he settled himself to deliver the remainder of the punishment. Sirius yelped and moved a bit, but he accepted his punishment.

When it was over, Remus pulled the sniffling student onto his lap and hugged him.

"I'm sorry," Sirius told Remus.

"I know," Remus answered.

"I'll probably do it again," he sniffed.

"So will I," Remus answered, laughing a little. "But let's both try not to, okay?"


	30. Chapter 30 - Quirrell's Class

_AN: I added the classroom scene in the beginning of this chapter based on a suggestion by reviewer chronos-girl. She had said that nobody ever wrote about Quirrell's classroom, and it intrigued me to think about what his class would be like. Thanks for the idea!_

* * *

The next day in the Defense Against the Dark Arts Class Sirius felt a little awkward. He had went along with Harry hexing Quirrell because he felt like he should support whatever Harry had in mind, and he was always up for a bit of mischief. But he really wasn't certain why Harry had chosen this particular professor to pick on, he seemed pretty harmless. I mean really, if there was an evil professor, wouldn't Snape himself look far more suspicious?

"I would hope that s-s-s-s-students would pay attention," Quirrell stated softly, but gestured at Sirius.

"Sorry, sir," Sirius apologized.

"An apology," Quirrell stated softly, but Sirius felt the sarcasm behind it. Sirius had never heard sarcasm in his professor's voice before, and looked up sharply. "It s-s-seems that you are often in p-p-p-p-position to do that."

Sirius, feeling a bit of embarrassment about the antler curse, stood up in class, and then gestured at Harry to do the same.

"Sir, Harry and I would like offer you an apology for what happened yesterday," Sirius told him. "We should have been more careful when asking for help."

"Yes, professor," Harry agreed. "We're sorry."

"And un-s-s-s-suspended as well."

"McGonagall allowed us to choose our fathers handling our discipline," Harry explained. "Professor Snape and Professor Lupin handled it."

'C-c-c-convenient," Quirrell commented. "Now, back to c-c-c-class. No more inter-r-r-uptions. P-p-p-potter and Black, see me after c-c-class."

Harry and Sirius tried to pay attention for the rest of class, but Quirrell's lecture on basic shielding charms was dry and unhelpful. When Remus taught them shielding, he made it interesting and showed plenty of practical demonstrations. Quirrell could barely get the words out of his mouth, let alone demonstrate. Sirius thought he might actually become worse with shields after this lecture. Sirius' attention was focused much tighter on Quirrell than it ever was before, and towards the end of class his eye caught something very strange. He saw a stray look that he had thrown at Harry when Harry's head was bowed with his note-taking, and he saw something . . . strange. Quirrell's eyes looked strange for just a moment, sort of . . . slithery. But what could that mean?

After class, Harry and Sirius waited patiently in front of Quirrell's desk for the other students to file out. They got sympathetic looks from Hermione and Ron on their way out, and a wry smirk from Draco. With the way they were acting Sirius would guess that he was on his way to his worst detention ever, not being scolded by a professor who could hardly get the words out, let alone look at all threatening. And it's not that he could do anything, they'd already been officially disciplined by McGonagall. But they had already given their official apology to the professor, in front of the class no less, so what more could the man want?

"I see that you t-t-two are becoming quite the p-p-p-pranksters."

"We're sorry, sir," Harry told him diplomatically.

"So you s-s-say," he told them. "I have half a mind t-t-t-t-to have you serve detention on Saturday."

"If you wish," Harry replied again, with his polite and diplomatic voice. "But our fathers did discipline us for the incident, and we are very sorry. It was an accident. Also, on Saturday we are supposed to go with them to buy some new Potions equipment at Diagon Alley."

"P-p-p-pleasure trip?" he asked solicitously, his demeanor changing.

"I think we're doing very little beyond Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment," Harry told him. "Our fathers both weren't pleased with our conduct, and I don't expect it will be very pleasurable."

"I think they want to keep a closer eye on us," Sirius told him.

"I s-see," Quirrell leaned back in his chair. "P-p-perhaps I can t-trust your fathers to deter you, then."

"They are known as very strict disciplinarians," Sirius told him. "It might hurt their feelings if you didn't think they did a thorough enough job. I mean, we're talking about professor Snape here."

"V-v-very well," Quirrel acknowledged. "I w-w-will not add to your punishment."

"Thank you, sir," Harry told him, relieved.

"We won't give you antlers ever again, we promise," Sirius told him.

"See that you d-d-don't," the man said. "I t-t-trust that you boys will s-s-stay out of trouble from now on."

"Of course," Harry assured him.

"G-g-good little Gryffindors," he told them, but his voice betrayed a snarl.

"Um, yes professor," Harry said, confused.

"We'll, um, leave you alone now," Sirius said.

The boys shuffled out of the office and exchanged looks.

"That was weird," Sirius told Harry.

"Weird weird or weird evil?" Harry wondered aloud.

"I don't think even think the Dark Lord would think using that guy is a good idea," Sirius laughed. "I mean, he'd probably bungle the whole plan."

"You're right," Harry laughed. "Let's get to lunch."

But Sirius did wonder at Quirrell's sudden change during their talk, what had happened? It kept nagging at him, but he didn't know what it could mean. Surely they were right, Quirrell was too pathetic to be actually evil.

. . .

That Saturday found Harry and Sirius in Diagon alley with their guardians. Both of the dads had things to pick up for themselves there, and it had been decided that it would be a good mid-winter treat for the boys. Harry had his heart set on the candy shop, but Sirius wanted very much to visit the ice cream shop. Neither of them wanted to visit Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment, but that was the first stop for their dads.

"We'll go to candy afterwards," Remus assured them. "Just be patient with this part of it."

"They will be patient and well-behaved," Snape told them, his features stern. "Or there will be no candy and ice cream."

"Just go and browse," Remus told them, pointing to the main part of the store. "We'll be at the back ordering the potions equipment. It might be a while, Snape wants to do some testing for quality of ingredients."

"We'll stay busy," Harry promised.

"Busy but not in trouble," Snape told them, levelling a glare at the two.

"Of course, dad," Harry replied. "We will behave."

"See that you do," Snape answered, then turned his attention to the potion supplies.

"Honestly, what does he think we're going to do?" Sirius asked, being careful to keep his voice low.

"Maybe light the place on fire," Harry shrugged. "We don't have the best track record."

"I suppose," Sirius conceded.

"Hey what are these?" Harry asked, pointing to a section of shelves that had little envelopes lined up like muggles would sell at a record shop.

"Spells," Sirius shrugged. "They're copyrighted, you have to pay to get them. Most of them are rubbish."

"I think this one's for brushing your dog," Harry said, his face wrinkling.

"Hey, that might work on your mop!" Sirius snorted.

"Like yours is better!" Harry shot back.

"This one's for making sure you don't use your floo when drunk!" Sirius snorted. "I imagine you could get into trouble floo-calling while drunk."

"We could use some of these for pranks!" Harry declared. "Look, this one is for easy wedding hairstyles. Do you think Dad would look good in this hairstyle? It's called a French Twist."

"Ha!" Sirius laughed. "And this one is for walking a dog. Do you think it would work on werewolves?"

"Hey, what's this?" Harry asked. "A head engorgement charm?"

"Hey, that could be useful for . . ."

"Exactly," Harry replied. "How much do you think it is?"

"Well hello there, b-b-boys," they heard the voice of their professor.

"Hello, professor," Harry looked at him. "What brings you here today?"

"I had some shopping to do as well," Quirrell told him.

"Well we just found some charms here that look interesting," Harry told him politely.

"Where are your fathers?" Quirrell asked him.

"Over there," Sirius pointed towards the back. "Testing potion ingredients. Would you like me to fetch one of them?"

"No, no, that's not necessary," Quirrell laughed nervously. "Not necessary at all, I would hate to bother them. Would you boys like to come and see the book I'm purchasing for use in class? I think you might like it."

"Professor," Harry asked, confused. "What happened to your stutter?"

The hairs stood up on the back of Sirius' neck, and he looked into the face of the professor for the first time. He seemed over-excited and . . . off somehow. What was going on? Things started to click in his head, however, as he saw Harry reach out and touch the book that the professor was offering to him. In one fell swoop Quirrell yanked the necklace off Harry and pressed the book against Harry, sharply commanding, "Away!"

"No!" Sirius yelled. In that moment of decision, he yanked off his own necklace which he knew prevented apparition, and grabbed onto Harry as they both were whisked away by port-key.


	31. Chapter 31 - Playing Cards

Harry decided, as he came to, that he was quite tired of being yanked places by involuntary port-key.

"We're idiots," Sirius groaned, sitting up and holding his head.

"Quirrell all along," Harry groaned, sitting up himself. "We are idiots. Why did we think a man that stutters couldn't be evil?"

"I guess I just thought he was so pathetic that even the Dark Lord wouldn't want him."

Harry snorted. "Apparently he's taking anybody these days."

"Where are we?" Sirius asked, rubbing his shoulder that had probably been the point of impact on this cold, stone floor.

"Nowhere good," Harry answered. "Hey, how did you come through?"

"I took off my necklace," Sirius admitted. "Remus is going to kill me."

"He most certainly is," Harry grimaced. "But I'm glad not to be here alone."

"Listen, Harry," Sirius suddenly told him, his voice low. "I have to tell you something quickly when we're alone. Bella tried to recruit me to betray you, and I decided to sort of play spy. So if I keep doing that, just a warning."

"Good idea," Harry whispered back. "Thanks for the warning."

"Do you think we can get out of here?" Sirius asked, louder. "Do you have your wand?"

"Taken," Harry answered, finding his empty holster.

They exchanged looks then. They could both cast a little bit wandlessly, thanks to the insistence of both of their fathers, but their abilities were very limited. A wizard without his wand felt helpless, and both of them were trying to quell their fear.

"Where do you think he is?" Sirius asked, looking skeptically around the room.

"Nowhere good," Harry replied darkly. Then, looking at his hands, he realized their helplessness. "How are they going to find us?"

Sirius knew exactly what he meant, and he shrugged. "My money's on Snape," he answered firmly. "He's a mean bastard when someone threatens him. And My Dad's a werewolf. And Dumbledore and McGonagall will be after us too. They aren't normal wizards, Harry."

Harry nodded, but still wasn't sure. "Why do you think he wanted me?"

"Aren't you the bloody _Boy Who Lived_?" Sirius asked incredulously. "You're on everyone's hit list, mate."

"Then why not kill me?" Harry asked. "Surely a quick Avada Kadavra would take care of the problems. And you weren't even intentional. Why not kill us?"

"They must have a plan," Sirius acknowledged.

"I don't see a ransom demand or anything like that," Harry mused. "I would dare someone to deliver a ransom demand to my Dad. No, it's gotta be something else."

"Do you think that he's Bella's accomplice?" Sirius asked calmly. "The one that has been casting so she could intrude on my dreams?"

"Undoubtedly," Harry nodded. "It makes sense. He had plenty of access to you as your professor. And if he's willing to kidnap us, then it's gotta be him."

"I think we're just going to have to wait and see what happens," Sirius answered. "Not much else we can do."

"If we had our wands . . ."

"But we don't," Sirius told him, a little harshly. "But maybe there's something here. Let's look around."

So they looked around the small room they were in, and decided it must have been an old and forgotten storage room somewhere. The floors and walls were stone, but the ceiling was thick, ancient timbers as you would see at Hogwarts. The search of the belongings in the room brought up several broken, dusty picture frames, yards of dusty cloth and ropes, boxes full of old pictures and letters, and various bric-a-brac. Nothing even remotely useful.

"There's no windows in this place," Harry observed, looking closely at the ceiling.

"No way out," Sirius agreed. "We will have to see what they have for us, then. Hey look I found your head engorging spell here. I guess we just shoplifted."

Harry snorted. "Perhaps we should contact the authorities. But hey, let's open it up and take a look just in case we get a chance to use it."

They both studied the spell for a moment, learning it.

"We should see if we can cast this wandlessly," Harry told Sirius, pocketing the spell.

"Not on me!" Sirius protested.

"Do you think we could use a patronus spell?" Harry asked quietly.

"There's no way we can cast that without a wand," Sirius told him. "It's very advanced magic, if anybody but our Dads knew about it, they would be astonished."

"So we need to get a wand," Harry calculated.

"Someone else's might not work as well for you," Sirius explained.

"But I've used my Dad's a couple of times!" Harry protested.

"Well, he's your Dad, so the wand may bow to you to allow you to use it," SIrius explained. "And you could probably use mine, at least for spells that involve brute force. Spells that require finesse, like the patronus, will be much harder to do on a wand that is not your own."

"So if I do get ahold of a wand, how do I contact my father?"

"You know, the Dark Lord used to send up a Dark Mark," Sirius mused. "I wonder if we can send up some sort of signal?"

"I don't think I know that sort of spell," Harry admitted, sitting down and feeling defeated. "Sirius, are we going to lose?"

"Of course not," Sirius told him. "We have two of the most powerful wizards in history on our side, as well as a werewolf! And a school full of professors! No, they'll find us."

"How?" Harry asked. "It's not as if we can call them on a phone. And even if we could, we have no idea where we are."

"I hate port-keys," Sirius answered, looking depressed.

"You hate them?" Harry snorted. "I think I'm going to cast a permanent charm on myself to never travel by port-key again."

"This sucks," Sirius commented. "Were scared and bored at the same time, and we have no idea what's going to happen."

"Hey, I found a deck of cards here!" Harry yelled in triumph, holding up an ancient, yellowing deck."

"What do you do with those?" Sirius asked, curious.

"Purebloods," Harry rolled his eyes and brought them out. "These, my friend, are our ticket to do something than to just be bored out of our minds. Have you ever played Gin

Rummy? War? Scabby Queen? Happy Families?"

"Have you?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"Well, sort of," Harry answered truthfully. "I had a deck of cards in my cu-room as a kid, you know? I was pretty naughty and was always sent there. So I would learn how to play cards and sort of play the games with myself."

"That's pretty sad, Harry."

"Yeah, well, I also taught myself to shuffle," Harry laughed, showing Sirius how to shuffle and then bridge the cards. "See? Pretty fun."

"Wicked," Sirius agreed, and soon they were ensconced in a game of war.

They became so ensconced, however, that they both jumped in suprise as they heard a crack of apparition in their room. They both leapt to their feet and reached for their wands, and both felt the hole in the pit of their stomachs when they once again remembered that their wands weren't there.

"Greetings," Quirrell told them in a nasty, confident voice as he entered the room.

The boys gaped in surprise at the man. Gone was the quivering, stuttering, slightly creepy professor and in strode a confident, well-held man.

"I hope you find your accommodations comfortable," he told them, his tone leering.

"We might need a loo," Sirius told him boldly.

"You'll find one there," he flicked his wand and a door they had not seen before opened.

"Why are we here?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

"You are here to help me in my endeavors," Quirrell replied smoothly. "You are quite valuable to us."

"Can we have our wands, then?" Harry asked boldly.

Quirrell laughed, a scornful and hateful laugh. It made Sirius' skin crawl to hear it, and it also made him swallow down the nervousness that surfaced.

"Always the foolish and bold Gryffindor," he told the boy, sarcasm dripping. This was definitely a different Quirrell than either boy had known before.

"And now for you, the hanger on," Quirrell said, looking at Sirius and drawing his wand. "I have no need of you."

"No!" Harry yelled, springing forward and throwing himself in front of Sirius.

"Out of the way, boy," Quirrell spat. "You would survive the cruciatus, and I have no problem giving it to you."

"Just obliviate him and send him back," Harry begged. "Please. And I won't do anything at all for you if you hurt him."

Just then Quirrell pulled back his wand, and looked off from the boys, becoming meeker again. "Yes master?" he asked, and then seemed to be listening. "Of course, master," he said. "Your plans are always better. I will use the boy as leverage."

"What's leverage?" Sirius asked, worried about what that might mean.

"It means Harry will cooperate," Quirrell answered, his eyes fierce and cold. "Or I will torture and kill you. His love for you will force him to cooperate with me."

"What if I refuse?" Harry asked, stunned.

"Then your friend will wish I had killed him when I first thought to do it."

"What do you want me to do?" Harry asked, feeling suddenly very practical.

"I want to use your magic," Quirrell explained. "We have two tasks ahead of us, and I need you for both of them. You will cooperate and I will use your magic to do this task."

"That's it?" Harry asked. "Surely there's lots of others that you know, agree with you, that you could use their magic."

"Your magic is very special and very strong," Quirrell told him. "And I have learned that for the second task I need you in particular."

"He's lying," Sirius told him. "He may need to use you, but he's going to kill you in the end."

"Silence!" Quirrell thundered at him.

"I'll cooperate!" Harry agreed, finding himself hoping furtively that his father could find him before he had to do whatever it was he had to do.

"Very wise of you," Quirrell nodded.

Sirius sprang forward, his goal to wrest Quirrell's wand from him. He cried out as Quirrell easily blocked him, and then plastered him to the wall, murmuring the words of a sticking charm.

"Ouch!" Sirius cried out as a slash marked his face.

"Stay there," Quirrell commanded with an acid tone.

"What are the tasks?" Harry asked, trying to take his attention off of Sirius.

"First, we are breaking Bella out of Azkaban."

"What?" Harry exclaimed, horrified.

"No more protests, or I take it out on your friend," Quirrell answered him coldly. "It is time to go."


	32. Chapter 32 - Fathers

Remus and Snape heard Sirius' cry out and the crack of apparition in the vicinity of the store where the boys were looking at spells, and both of them had a sinking feeling in their stomach at the same time. Who else could it be other than their sons?

They both exchanged a quick look and then ran over to where the sound had happened.

"What happened?" Snape demanded of a nearby woman.

"A man appeared, and then he left with the boys," the woman said. "They seemed to know him so I wasn't worried. But then it looked like he forced them."

"What did he do?"

"He took a necklace off the smaller boy, the one with glasses. Anyway, he did that at the same time he had the boy touch a book. The bigger boy cried out, taking a necklace off himself, and he grabbed on as they apparated."

"Why did you do nothing?" Remus demanded harshly, his eyes glinting gold.

"I - I wasn't sure what was happening," the woman answered, clearly dismayed. "I would have stopped it if I had known."

"What did the man look like?" Snape asked, forcing himself to remain calm. It would do nobody any good for him to lose his head, as the werewolf was clearly set on doing.

"Medium height, medium everything really," the woman answered, a wary eye flicking to Remus. "The only thing that was unusual about him at all was he had this silly purple turban on his head."

"Quirrell," Snape answered, using his name as an invective. He had known there was something about that man, and now it became clear. He was Bella's ally at Hogwarts, and now he was starting his final plan. And to do all this in January as well!

"Did he say where they were going?" Snape asked.

"They were too far away," she answered, concerned. "Did - did that man, I mean, does that man intend to hurt the boys?"

"He wasn't buying them ice cream," Snape answered. "Let me know if there's anything else we need to know, I need to talk with the shop owner."

"Was he your son?" the woman asked, seeing the men's distress.

"One was my son and one was my friend's son," Snape answered.

"I hope they're alright," the woman told him, her eyes full of concern.

"Thank you," Snape answered in a clipped voice, and spun around to find the shopkeeper. Calm, calm, calm, he chanted to himself.

"Sirius took off his necklace!" Remus fumed. "Didn't he know how dangerous that was . . ."

"It was obviously an attempt to help Harry," Snape told him. "Take your ruler to him for it later, right now we're focusing on finding them. Can you focus, Remus?"

Remus, knowing Snape was right, shook himself. "I'll focus," he promised.

"You call the aurors and Dumbledore and I'll talk to the shopkeeper," Snape told him firmly. "I assume you can cast a patronus despite your agitation?"

Remus smirked with dark humor at Snape's teasing, and it helped him again gain control over his temper. "I believe so, Severus," he responded neutrally and began casting his silvery patronus.

"Both of our sons were just kidnapped from your store," Snape told the short, round-faced man behind the counter as she turned away from Remus.

"Kidnapped?" the man echoed, incredulous. "Surely not . . ."

"We heard it happen and there was an eye witness," Snape told the man. "How do you not have an anti-disapparation spell on your shop?"

"We haven't needed it," the man answered, his face beginning to sweat under the intense gaze of the potion master.

"What sort of imbecile doesn't ward his property?" he glowered.

"We want to be friendly and welcoming," the man replied. "We've had only a few problems, mostly minor stuff."

"If your shoddy shopkeeping costs my son his life I will hold you personally responsible," Snape spat at him, his temper blazing.

"You need to calm down too," Remus told him gently. "This man didn't kidnap Harry."

Knowing Remus was right, he took a breath and tried to gain control. Harry needed him smart, not angry. Just then, McGonagall and Dumbledore arrived with a crack. Dumbledore had obviously been in the middle of having tea, as he was still gripping his teacup.

"What's this?" he asked, his voice full of concern. "Where's Harry?"

"He's been taken," Snape told him. "It looks like he tried to take Harry, and Sirius grabbed on and went too. He took Harry's necklace off, and Sirius took his off so he could go too."

"Who took them?" Dumbledore asked.

"Quirrell," Snape answered in a clipped tone. "There was an eyewitness that saw him talking to the boys and they knew him, and it was a man wearing a purple turban."

"Oh dear," Dumbledore replied. "Whyever would he do that?"

"I believe he has motives," Snape told him, and eyeing the aurors he wasn't sure how much to say. "And this shopkeeper apparently has no protections for his belongings, so anybody can apparate into here and rob him blind."

"I do have protections!" the man yelled. "And if you think that someone can rob me blind, I would have you know that I have shoplifting charms on all my merchandise!"

"Why didn't you say that in the first place, you imbecile!" Snape thundered. "Did it not cross your miniscule brain that one of them might have been handling merchandise that was whisked away with them at the same time?!"

The poor shopkeeper looked ready to burst into tears, and Severus found that he had no patience for incompetence. He resisted the urge to use an unforgivable on the man, and he growled in his most menacing, "Activate that spell if you value your life!"

The man jumped to obey, and quickly fetched a map off the shelf. Laying it out, he whispered his charm, causing tiny lights to appear on the map.

"These are the things taken this week," the man explained. "I can tap it here and the items are retrieved. I can press here and the items start alarming. Would you like me to do that?"

"We don't know which one might be the boys," Snape contemplated, counting the six bright dots.

"What's that one?" he asked, seeing a faint blue dot on the outskirts of London.

"That's one that's valued at under five sickles," the man answered, seeming relieved that Snape was no longer threatening him with bodily harm. "It's usually more bother than it's worth to retrieve those."

"What would the boys have been handling?" Remus asked. "They were here by the spells rack."

"There are a few spell cards out of place," the shopkeeper helpfully noticed.

"How much are the spells?" Snape asked pointedly.

"They start at one sickle and go to five," the man answered. "They are mostly just household and prank spells really . . ."

"That must be the boys," Snape said. "If one of these dots is them, than that's the one I think it is."

"Do you want me to retrieve it?" the man asked helpfully.

"Not if you value your life," Snape told him with menace. "That spell, should it still be in their possession, should act as a tracking spell."

"Then let's go!" Remus said anxiously. "We could fly there on brooms now if we don't have enough information to floo or apparate."

"We need to plan this carefully," Snape told him. "Going off half-cocked is going to help nobody. We need to plan."

"And call for more help," Dumbledore told them. "Severus, my boy, you cannot do this on your own."

"You're right," Snape answered, nodding at the aged man. "Call anybody you think could be helpful, and we will plan what to do. If the boys are still alive, that means they're useful for something, and we have enough time to plan."

"He didn't mean to take Sirius," Remus paled. "He doesn't have a use for him."

"Don't panic, man," Snape told him firmly. "Sirius needs you smart, not panicked. Those boys will do whatever it takes to protect each other."

"You're right," Remus tried to force himself to breath. "But you need to keep ahold of your temper as well."

Snape snorted a response, and examined the map.

"I will go now," Minerva informed them. "I'll be a cat so I won't be recognized. I'll see if I can find them, and if I can I'll send back a patronus."

"Tell us wards if you can," Snape told her. "And be careful, Quirrell knows you're a cat."

"I will be," Minerva responded. "This is not the first time."

Snape nodded at her, and then turned to Dumbledore. "We have to assume that wherever they're being held is warded, and also that there's a plan."

"Sirius had said that the plan involved stealing the Philosopher's stone," Remus reminded them. "So we should have something set up here for that as well."

"Why would Quirrell need Harry?" Dumbledore pondered.

Snape grew uncomfortable. He didn't often speak of Harry's special abilities, though he knew Dumbledore knew of them. "He would be an excellent power source," Snape told him softly. "If there is a task he lacks power to accomplish, Harry would be a good source of that power."

"How good of a power source can an eleven year old be?" Dumbledore asked, confused.

"Harry is special," Snape replied. "Remus and I have been training him, and he's doing fourth year work. And even now he's unable to access all of his power, but a wizard who knows what he's doing could."

"Hmm," Dumbledore considered. "Power isn't going to help him with the stone."

"No," Snape admitted. "Perhaps he has more than one plan."

"Perhaps," Dumbledore answered. "It is also possible to use Harry to retrieve the stone at the end of the maze. Alright, Remus, why don't you guard the maze? Send your patronus if you need more help."

"If you're launching a rescue, I want to help," he informed them.

"Of course," Dumbledore agreed. "But we need someone at the maze now, and you would be the best choice. If Severus and I can't find him, then that is likely where they'll head, and we need a wizard who can take on Quirrell."

"I understand," Remus agreed reluctantly.

"Be careful, though," Snape told him. "If Quirrell does use Harry as a power source, than he will be much stronger than usual."

"I will call for help," Remus assured them, and then apparated himself out of the shop.

"Let's plan the rescue, then," Snape told them. "We have precious little to go on, but we have at least something. I just hope it really was them that took that spell, or we have nothing to go on. I will return to Hogwarts and get needed supplies."

"Why don't we meet in my office?" Dumbledore told him. "We'll leave the aurors to continue their investigation here."

"When the aurors get here," he told the shopkeeper conjuring a parchment. "Give them my statement and to contact me if they need further details."

"Where will you be?" the shopkeeper asked, accepting the parchment.

"Finding my son," Snape answered darkly.


	33. Chapter 33 - Jailbreak

_AN: We are wrapping up this story, as I'm sure you can tell. There's probably about 3 chapters left and then a few epilogue chapters. I think this will probably be the end of the series, and I wanted to thank everyone who has come through this long story with me. I have enjoyed writing it immensely, and the feedback and encouragement I have received has been invaluable. Thank you to the anonymous reviewers as well, and I'm sorry I can't interact as well with what you say._

* * *

Harry had of course never been to Azkaban, and he wasn't sure really of what to expect. Whatever he did expect, however, was nothing compared to the reality that was Azkaban. It was a large, steel-colored prison in the middle of the Northern sea. It, of course, had wards that prevented apparition, so Quirrell apparated them on a broom to just outside the wards. Harry found himself astride Quirrell's broomstick and strapped against the man's torso. He had decided to cooperate in order to protect SIrius, and now he was beginning to wonder about that decision.

"Don't fight me," Quirrell told Harry as he surveyed the prison. "It won't work as well if you fight, and that would mean that I would have to hurt your friend."

"I won't fight," Harry told him. "I don't want you to hurt Sirius. But what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to use your magic to blast a hole through the wards and through the prison," Quirrell explained.

"I've never heard of that spell," Harry told him. "Will it kill me?"

"It's a dark spell, to use someone's magic," Quirrell explained. "It won't kill you, but it it's used improperly than it can turn a wizard into a squib."

"Why don't dark wizards use this spell more?" Harry asked, worried. Surely that would become the new thing - kidnapping young wizards and draining them of their magic for some dark purpose.

"Not many people know it," Quirrell answered. "And there is a huge risk to both the caster and the one they use to possibly become squibs, so that makes it less popular."

Harry marvelled at how the man could still sound so much like a professor even with a student strapped to his chest, hovering on a broom and planning a jailbreak from Azkaban. He shook his head in disbelief.

"Maybe there is another way," Harry told him, suddenly getting nervous. "You don't want to be a squib either."

"I am merely a vessel," Quirrell told him. "To give whatever is needed of myself to accomplish this task would be a great honor."

"I'm really thinking . . ." Harry began, but then was suddenly frozen asn he heard the spell "Petrificus Totalis!" spoken over him.

"That should hold you while I concentrate," Quirrell told him.

Harry tried to protest, but the spell held tight. He was completely vulnerable to whatever the man had planned for him.

"Utor Veneficiis Tuis!" Quirrell commanded, waving his wand in a complicated pattern over Harry. Harry felt frozen and still, and he could feel his magic being drained from him. He would cry out in pain if he could - but his body held its frozen position.

"Confringo!" he heard Quirrell bellow, pointing his wand and causing an orange fireball to descend into Azkaban. Harry watched in horror as the invisible shield around the prison activated and fizzled, letting the fireball through to descend upon the prison itself. Chunks of stone and wall broke apart, and Harry felt his stomach lurch as one person, clad in the stripes of a prisoner, tumbled out of the hole and to their death on the rocks below.

Quirrell then dove down into the prison, much as Harry would do going after the snitch in a Quidditch game. Frozen as he was and strapped to Quirrell's chest, Harry fought the temptation just to close his eyes and wish it was over. But he felt he should watch - it could be useful later. And he felt so helpless like he was - frozen and strapped to his professor's chest - that he couldn't stand not seeing as well.

Quirrell swooped down onto the exposed floor from where he had just blasted, and landed the broom.

"Stay on the broom!" Quirrell commanded, cancelling the petrifying hex. "Wait for me here!"

Harry, not knowing what else to do, held onto the broom. What would happen if he threw the broom over the side? Would it harm Quirrell's plans? Would Quirrell kill him? Harry fingered the broom, about to throw it over. But then he remembered Sirius - what would happen to him? But if they never got back to Sirius . . .

With a deep breath, Harry threw the broom with all his might off the edge of the building. He watched it go, and watched a faint flash of blue light as it pierced the wards. His stomach twisted with nervousness at his actions. _Well, what's done is done,_ he thought to himself, hoping that he made the right decision. He also realized how weak his muscles were - it had been quite a bit of effort just to throw the broom.

Large, cloaked figures descended on where Harry stood, but did not advance on him. Harry began to feel cold and dark, and he knew that there was no hope left for him. He would never see his father again, and Sirius would likely starve to death chained to that wall . . .

"Where's the broom?" he heard Quirrell demand behind him.

"It fell off," Harry told him, his voice nervous. Suddenly the hooded creatures were not the scariest thing he faced.

"Oh it did, did it?" he growled, advancing on Harry.

Quirrell's hand shot out and slapped Harry brutally across the cheek before Harry could even react, and he found himself thrown against the stone floor. He felt the sting of the slap a second after the sound, and his eyes filled with hot tears. It had been years since he had been hit like that, and Harry felt the crushing fear that always accompanied altercations with his Uncle fill him. He froze on the ground, knowing better than to get up. He also realized how weak his body felt at that moment; he hadn't even been able to duck or dodge the blow. He started to feel as if he had barely enough energy to breathe.

Harry then looked at Quirrell, who seemed to be holding his hand painfully. Harry supposed his hand must have stung a bit from the strength of the slap he had delivered, but why was he staring at his hand as if it had been burnt? With a baleful glare at Harry, Quirrell put down his hand and seemed to shake himself. There was work to be done.

"Accio broom!" Quirrell commanded, looking at the broom on the other side of the barrier. The broom twitched and bucked, but it could not be summoned through the barrier.

With Quirrell's back to Harry, he couldn't see the searing pain that Harry was suddenly in. Harry clutched his scar, hoping for relief.

"There's still a hole in the shielding where you came in," Harry heard a female voice observe. "We may be able to apparate. It looks like the dementors are keeping up their end of the bargain."

The pain subsided in Harry's scar, and he looked at where the voice was coming from. Harry saw who could only be Bellatrix Lestrange beside him. Her hair cascaded in a matted mess down her back, and her small frame seemed to swim in the prison uniform. But her eyes are what caught him - he gulped when he saw them. They were eyes that held no mercy, only evil.

"They're on our side," Quirrell told her. "Of course they wouldn't back out, the Dark Lord would not be happy if they did."

Quirrell, picking Harry up roughly, touched Bella's shoulder and in a crack they were gone.

. . .

Sirius sat, stuck against the wall, and worried. There was no other word for it, but he could focus on nothing else. Harry was gone, swept off for some dark purpose. What torture was Bella visiting on him even now? Sirius had grown up with Bella, he knew with great clarity what she was capable of, and he was of an age with her. What would Harry do now? And wandless even?

Sirius was so worried about Harry, he let out a startled yip! when he heard the crack of apparition.

"Are you hurt?" Snape snapped at him, searching the room with his wand drawn.

"I'm fine," Sirius answered, "Just a few scratches. I'm alone here now, but he has Harry!"

"Where are they?" Snape asked, waving his wand to cancel the sticking charm.

"They are going to get Bella out of Azkaban," Sirius answered, rubbing feeling back into his hands. "And then he's going to the school to try and use Harry to get the stone."

"Remus is there," Snape confirmed. "It is Quirrell, correct?"

"It is," Sirius confirmed, picking himself up. "And he's not stuttering now."

Snape nodded, and looked at Sirius critically. "We cannot hope to catch them at Azkaban, it will have to be at Hogwarts. If they're smart they'll go straight there. We'll apparate back and I want you to go to the common room and wait there."

"No," Sirius answered, squaring his shoulders.

Snape's eyes narrowed. "I don't have time for this, Sirius," he told him firmly. "You will not like the consequences of disobedience. I need to get to Harry."

"And I'm going to help," Sirius told him.

"You are not helping even if I have to tie you up to prevent it," Snape countered.

Sirius, realizing that matching stubbornness with stubbornness wasn't going to be helpful with the strict Potions Master, decided to take a different tact.

"Please, Professor," he asked, looking down. "I just don't think I could stand waiting to hear if he is alive or dead. Please let me go with you."

Snape was inclined to order the boy to the common room, but something about the boy's pleading made him reconsider. He knew what it felt to be that worried, and he knew what it was like to have your best friend's life threatened. When it came down to it, he didn't have the heart to send the boy away.

"You will obey me," he told the boy with some passion. "You will keep your head down and you will not get hurt. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Sirius promised.

"If you die it will undoubtedly hurt my relationship with Remus," Snape told him. "And I value his relationship far more than your hide. So stay alive."

"Yes, sir," Sirius repeated. He couldn't believe that man was allowing him to go, and he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that.

"Keep your wand drawn," Snape ordered him. "And we're going to join Remus at Hogwarts. If it comes to fighting, don't take risks, but protect yourself. Now come with me; we need to apparate outside of Hogwarts and walk in. You will need to keep up."

"Yes, sir," Sirius nodded. "I promise that I will. But I don't have a wand."

"Where is it?"

"Quirrell took our wands before we even woke up."

"Accio wands," Snape barked out, and two wands quickly came flying to him from their feeble hiding place in a cupboard.

"Not even a proper shield on them," Snape sniffed. "Here's yours, and I'll take Harry's for him."

"We will find him?" Sirius asked, trying hard to keep the note of pleading out of his voice.

"We will find him," Snape assured him, his voice fierce. "It is not an option to fail. But we need to go now."

"Thank you," Sirius said, and then felt Snape's hand clasp his shoulder firmly. They were pulled away with a snap of apparition.


	34. Chapter 34 - The Battle

_AN: Two chapters left after this! I have had a really hard time writing this chapter, and I think a part of it is that it's really hard to say goodbye to these characters. So, though I will likely take a long break and might not come back to it, I decided to leave the possibility of a further story open. Once I decided that, I wrote just fine. :) Please enjoy._

* * *

Snape and Sirius met up with Remus outside of Fluffy's chambers. Remus sprang forward, swooping Sirius up in his arms and holding the boy close to his chest. Then, he thrust Sirius away from him harshly, taking Sirius by the arms and giving him a shake.

"Sirius!" he growled, his face thunderous. "How dare you do that! Take off your necklace like that so you could follow the portkey to Merlin knows where!"

"I'm sorry," Sirius answered, shocked by the outpouring of emotions.

Remus crushed the boy against his chest again, his breathing ragged. How was he ever going to let the boy out of his sight again?

"I'm sorry!" Sirius insisted, his face crushed against Remus' shoulder.

"You will be," Sirius told him, his face stony. "And your backside sure will be, too."

"Smack him on your own time," Snape told them dryly. "But let's see about getting Harry back, shall we?"

Giving the youth one more rough hug, Remus nodded. "Of course. What's the plan?"

"They're coming here," Snape explained. "Quirrell used Harry as a power source to break Bella out of prison."

"But that spell . . ." Remus paled.

"I know," Snape nodded gravely. "The chance of either or both of them losing their magic or dying is grave."

"Why does that spell exist?" Sirius croaked. "I mean, if it has such a high death rate . . ."

"Only a few people even know it exists," Snape explained. "It is a very dark spell, not exactly something taught at Hogwarts. Only someone completely indifferent to their own life and magic could possibly use it."

"Will it kill Harry?" Sirius asked.

"It might," Snape answered. "Especially if he were a normal wizard."

"Which he's not," Remus smiled a grim smile. "You know he's special, Sirius. We've been teaching him fourth and fifth year material alongside you, he has a very rare talent."

"Which also makes him such an excellent power source," Snape confirmed. "So they are coming here, with Bella and Harry in tow. We have to decide what we are going to do about it."

"We need to get messages to everyone," Snape decided.

"Done," Remus nodded, sending out his patronus.

"Now, we plan," Snape told them his eyes fierce.

. . .

Harry apparated alongside Quirrell, and when they arrived outside of Hogwarts he fell to his knees, retching. The damp soil quickly soaked through his robes and trousers, but Harry couldn't find anything in him that cared.

"What a puling brat," Bella barked, kicking a bit at Harry. "Are you sure this is Harry Potter? The one that defeated the Dark Lord?"

"It was more his mother than him," Quirrell quipped. "A most unfortunate accident, really."

"Why is he puking?" she asked, slightly disconcerted.

"Well, sidelong apparition is hard for young people," Quirrell nodded. "And we have drained a great deal of his magic with that spell. Hopefully he has enough for the next step."

"The stone!" Bella cackled. "And then the Dark Lord . . ."

"One step at a time," Quirrell told her. "We have to get through the traps laid for us. I brought you a wand."

"Thank you," Bella smiled, feeling the weight of it. "How did you get my wand?"

"I have my ways," Quirrell smirked.

Bella swished her wand over herself, transforming her prison rags to a long, sparkly black dress. Her skin lost its smudges and her hair curled tightly instead of exploding in frizziness. Harry gulped in fear, this was the Bella that had tortured Neville's parents.

"What do we have then?" she asked.

"The first several ones aren't too hard," Quirrell told her. "I've gotten all the way to the end, but I can't get the last one. But the master thinks that the Potter brat can help for the last one."

"We go then," Bella told him. "Let's move quickly before our enemies find us."

Quirrell, having already gone through the maze, made quick work of the Devil's snare, the keys, and the chess game. Bella ended up dragging Harry roughly alongside her, though her touch made Harry's skin crawl. He knew some of what this woman was responsible for doing, and he also knew what she was capable of.

Then they got to the potions one, and Quirrell looked at the two of them. "I have to drink this potion to get through," Quirrell told them. "I have brought some for the two of you as well, but we will need to move quickly."

Harry, upon seeing the potions and thinking of his Dad, jutted his chin in defiance. "I'm not going to help you, you know," he told Quirrell.

"We'll see about that," Quirrell smirked. "Perhaps it was fortuitous that I would be able to have your friend as a bargaining chip. You foolish Gryffindors are always easier to control through torturing a friend than torturing yourself."

Harry paled, then gathered his courage. "Sirius would rather die than have me help you."

"He probably would," Quirrell agreed. "But can you take it? Can you take watching him get the cruciatus? I believe you found him when Bella had been doing some convincing of young SIrius, how did you feel? Can you take that?"

"I can," Harry said bravely, but felt his resolve crumble.

"Take the potion and follow me," Quirrell told him firmly. "Or we shall find out how much of that is bluster."

Harry took the potion, and stepped through the flames with Quirrell and Bella. His stomach twisted in fear, what was going to happen? He was not foolish enough to believe that they would let him go once his usefulness was gone. He also wasn't foolish enough to believe that they wouldn't hurt him - and he didn't know what to do.

"How did you know which potion to take?" Bella asked.

"It's a puzzle, Bella," Quirrell quipped. "Not that you'd understand. But really, it's child's play."

Harry tried to keep his brain calm and plan, which was exactly what Snape would tell him to do. _Don't panic,_ he could almost hear his Dad's voice now. _You can't think when you panic._ Harry, taking deep breaths to clear his mind, suddenly noticed Quirrell's hand. Quirrell held it gingerly, as if it hurt badly. Harry moved a bit to get a clearer look, and the hand was clearly red and had a few blisters on it. Did Quirrell get that just from slapping Harry? Furiously, Harry tried to remember if he'd ever touched Quirrell. Because if Quirrell's hand got burned like that just from slapping him . . .

They made their way into a large room with a large mirror in the middle of it. Quirrell clenched Harry's robes and drew him in front of it. Was he careful not to touch Harry's skin? Harry couldn't tell.

"What do you see, boy?" Quirrell asked him.

Harry looked at the mirror, and he saw Snape in the corner with his wand drawn. Then he saw the man hugging him and telling him that he was safe.

"I see my Dad rescuing me," Harry answered. "Does this mirror show you what's going to happen?"

"It shows you your fondest desires," Quirrell answered. "I see me giving the stone to my master, and him praising me. Now I want you to think about the fact that we cannot get out of here without finding the stone. Now do you want it?"

Harry nodded. "I want it so we can get out of here."

The picture in the mirror shifted, and Harry saw himself with Quirrell again. His reflection winked at him, and motioned to his pocket at the same moment that Harry felt a weight in his pocket. He had the stone.

"What do you see now?" Quirrell asked him.

"We've won the Quidditch championship," Harry lied. "Oh and look! Dumbledore's handing me the house cup."

"He's lying," a scratchy, thin voice cut through the air. "Let me see him."

"But master, are you strong enough?" Quirrell asked in a very respectful voice.

"Let me out," the voice commanded, and Quirrell began to unwind his purple turban.

Harry watched in fascination as the turban unwound to reveal a very bald head - with another face stuck to the back of it! He felt bile rise in his mouth as he looked at the extra face, and the extra face looked at him. Harry put his hand over his burning scar, never had the pain felt so intense. His knees buckled under the pain, and he cried out as Quirrell's extra face loomed above him.

"At last we meet, Harry Potter," the hissing voice said. "I am Lord Voldemort."

"You killed my parents!" Harry yelled at him, still mostly blinded by the pain in his scar.

"You will become a great wizard someday," Voldemort told him. "It's all in your mind here. I can help you do that. Join me and we shall conquer the world together."

"Never," Harry spat out.

"Do not be taken in by the juvenile beliefs of Dumbledore," Voldemort hissed. "There is no noble cause here, there is no good and evil. There is only power and those brave enough to use it."

"You're a liar," Harry spat back. "And you are going to lose."

"What, lose against a wandless boy?" Voldemort asked. "If you do not join us, we shall have to kill you."

"Kill me, then," Harry told him sarcastically. "It worked so well for you last time."

Quirrell, incensed, turned around and drew his wand. At that moment he was knocked back by a spell coming from the corner, and spells started to fly, fast and thick. Harry looked up to see the faces of Remus, his dad and Sirius all firing off spells as fast as they could against Bella and Quirrell.

Bella cackled and swung around, calling out, "A traitor and a werewolf! We will have fun today!"

"You have always underestimated people, Bella," Snape snapped at her. "And today that will cost you."

Quirrell was fighting as hard as he could, but his back was to Harry. Harry knew that Quirrell thought that he wasn't a threat because he didn't have a wand, and Harry knew differently. He had been learning wandless casting from professor Flitwick, but what spell to use? Suddenly, Harry knew.

"Engorgio Skullus!" Harry yelled with as much passion as he could muster, aiming all of his mental energies at Quirrell. Quirrell's head began to swell and the man stumbled, causing Sirius to see what he was doing.

"Engorgio Skullus!" Sirius cast as well, and the man was distracted enough to let the spell through his shield.

Quirrell's head swelled massively, stretching the skin tight over his skull.

"What's happening?" Lord Voldemort demanded as Quirrell fell over, his head hitting the ground with the sound of a ripe melon splitting.

"Ah!" Quirrell yelled, unable to right himself properly due to his massive head.

"You will pay for this!" Voldemort yelled. "All of you!"

Bella, somewhat distracted by the giant head, was blasted across the room by Remus and as she fell was placed in a full body bind by Snape.

Quirrell then lunged for Harry, as if to strangle him with his bare hands. Rage and terror filled him with desperation, and he prayed that his hunch was right. As he laid his hands on Quirrell's skin, he saw blisters immediately form where he touched.

"Master, he burns me!" Quirrell protested.

"Get him!" Voldemort hissed back, and Quirrell fell on Harry, trying to pin him down. Harry clenched his hands tight on Quirrell's face, and watched in horror as it burnt, bubbled, and finally melted away into dust. A black shade came out of Quirrell's remains, and aimed right at Harry. Harry saw the shade coming at him and fell backwards as it reached him, and then he knew nothing else.


	35. Chapter 35 - The Wolf

_AN: There will be one more chapter after this one and an epilogue. Thanks!_

Harry woke in the infirmary. Even though he couldn't open his eyes right away, he could smell the scent of antiseptic and potions, and he could hear the sounds of the infirmary. And then, as he became more aware, he heard a gentle sobbing.

Opening his eyes, he saw that in the bed next to him lay an unconscious form of Remus. He had a large bandage on his head, and he was tucked in in such a way that Harry knew that he wasn't merely sleeping. At the foot of his bed lay Sirius, his head buried in Remus' blanket and his shoulders shaking with soft sobbing.

"Sirius?" Harry asked softly, rubbing his eyes.

"You're awake?" Sirius turned towards him, his eyes red-rimmed.

"I think so," Harry answered, wincing as he touched the lump on the back of his head. "Is everyone okay?"

"You fried Quirrell right proper," SIrius told him. "Did you know your hands could do that?"

"No," Harry told him, looking at his unmarked hands. "I noticed that when he slapped my face that it hurt his hand, so I thought maybe touching his face might hurt him. I didn't realize it would make him . . . disintegrate."

"That was wicked," Sirius nodded. "Can you do that to other people?"

"I don't know," Harry admitted, suddenly scared to touch anyone. "I'll ask Dad. But how's everyone else?"

"Well, as you were frying Quirrell to a crisp, Bella got a shot off aimed right at me. Remus tried to shield, but ended up taking most of the shot with his body. Snape got her in a body-bind a few seconds later, but the damage had been done."

"What spell was it?" Harry asked softly.

"Some sort of blasting curse," Sirius told him. "It was nonverbal, and they're not sure. Bella just laughs when they ask her, and Snape can't get in her mind."

"I'm sorry," Harry tells him, looking at the sleeping form of the teacher. "Will he get better?"

"He has to," Sirius replied, his eyes welling up again. "He just has to."

"He will," Harry assured him. "I mean, he's still alive now, right? He's strong, his magic just needs a little time to regroup."

"I hope you're right," Sirius sniffed.

"You're awake," Harry heard Snape say from behind him. "I set an alarm to alert me when you woke." Harry turned, and was engulfed in a plant-scented robe. Harry pressed again Snape's robes firmly, feeling the solidness that was Snape. He felt tears prickle.

"I killed him," Harry told Snape, his voice cracking. His voice sounded young and vulnerable, and like he would start crying.

"Actually, your mother did," Snape answered the boy, combing his hand through his hair.

"What?" Harry asked, pushing away from the comfort of Snape.

"When the Dark Lord tried to kill you as a baby, your mother cast a spell to protect you," Snape explained, looking intently in the green eyes while his fingers traced the edges of the bruise on his cheek. "She loved you more than life itself, and that kind of love leaves a mark, and it lives in your very skin. That spell, fueled by her love and sacrifice, is what defeated him that night, and it's what defeated him today. Quirrell was so infected with the Dark Lord's presence that your very touch undid him."

"I wanted to hurt him," Harry admitted. "I had seen that when he slapped me it burned his hand, so I thought that touching his face would hurt him."

"Well reasoned," Snape nodded. "That was well done."

"But I didn't mean to actually kill him," Harry said, his voice soft.

Snape sighed. _Idealistic Gryffindors_ , he thought harshly. "Harry, Quirrell was trying to kill us. He kidnapped you and Sirius, abused both of you, and threatened to do more. He was preparing to kill you once you were no longer useful to him. You were beyond justified to defend yourself by any means necessary."

"Then it was okay?" Harry asked.

"Not only was it alright that you defended yourself and others vigorously, what do you think I would have done had you not defended yourself to the utmost of your abilities?"

"The ruler?" Harry asked, looking strangely relieved.

"At the very least," Snape answered sternly. "If I ever hear of you not defending yourself and your comrades you will have me to deal with on that matter."

"Yes, sir."

"But as it was you have every reason to be proud of your efforts," Snape conceded. "Please let me absolve you of all guilt in managing to defeat the man that was actively trying to kill you and your loved ones. You too, Black."

"Ah, Snape . . ." Sirius began in a mocking manner.

Snape's eyes narrowed at him. "Though I fully support your guardian taking a ruler to your backside for getting yourself there in the first place," he told the boy. "The very idea! You actually removed the necklace designed to keep you safe."

"Yes, sir," Sirius answered, then looked at Remus with a stricken face.

"Am I in trouble?" Harry asked.

"Why would you be?" Snape asked him thoughtfully. "Was there anything you did wrong?"

Harry thought back through the course of events, and realized that there wasn't anything. "I think I did what I was supposed to do," Harry answered, incredulous.

"Your lessons are finally paying off," Snape nodded to him. "I am very proud of how you conducted yourself. You are not in trouble because the risk to yourself was entirely the fault of others, and you acted in a prudent and responsible way to try and save your life and the life of your friend. I believe congratulations are in order for you."

Harry, warmed by the praise, looked down abashedly.

"What's wrong with Remus, then?" Harry asked softly.

"He is in coma," Snape explained. "His magic is repairing itself."

"Will he wake up?" Harry asked woefully.

"Yes," Snape answered with more certainty than he felt. "He just needs time." In truth, Snape was worried about his friend. He did not want to face the idea of his friend not waking up, but he had to admit to himself the possibility. Bella knew some nasty curses, some she'd even made up herself, and they could be very wicked in application. He just prayed his friend's magic would be stronger.

Madame Pomfrey agreed to let Sirius stay in the infirmary with Harry and Remus, and nobody would have suggested that anybody tell Snape when to leave the patients alone. So that evening, when the full moon rose, Snape was reading and Harry and Sirius were involved in a quiet game of Wizard's chess.

"What was that?" Sirius asked, looking around the room.

"What was what?" Harry asked, scoffing. "Are you hearing things?"

"Get behind me!" Snape yelled at them, leaping towards the two and placing himself between Remus and the boys.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, crouching behind Snape.

"Back out of the room, carefully," Snape told them. "Stay behind me."

"What's going on?" Harry repeated, starting to panic.

"Do it now," Snape barked, his voice rough and harsh.

The boys obeyed, making their way to the door. But they were suddenly smashed under Snape's body as he shoved them down. Sirius couldn't see much, but saw spellfire coming off of Snape's wand, and a great hairy creature growling and lunging. With sudden recognition, he realized that Remus must be changing into his werewolf form. With the wolfbane and the scheduled monthly visits to Snape and Harry, he had almost forgotten that his guardian was indeed a Werewolf. And they were about to pay for that neglect.

Suddenly, the weight of Snape was lifted off of them and Sirius took a deep breath.

"It's over now," Snape said calmly. "The wolf has been restrained."

"Is he okay?" Sirius asked, his voice shaky.

"He's fine," Snape answered, lowering his wand and trying to catch his breath. "He's sedated and restrained. I've transformed his blankets into handcuffs, and knocked him out."

"Why didn't the wolfsbane work?" Harry asked.

"It did, mostly," Snape answered him. "If it hadn't worked at all than it would have been much harder to restrain him. Werewolves are notoriously impervious to most magics. But why didn't he curl up and sleep like he's supposed to?"

Both boys nodded.

"My guess is that he forgot to take his potion in all the hubbub of rescuing you lot," Snape explained. "He'd been taking it all week, and just missed the last dose."

"And all of us were too distracted to remember the moon," Sirius wryly grimaced.

"Indeed we did," Snape nodded. "But the good news is that his transition seems to have woken him up."

"Until you knocked him out again," Harry smirked.

"Well, yes," Snape admitted. "But my spell is temporary. Though he will likely have a headache when he wakes."

"He's going to feel guilty about this," Sirius said, looking at the sleeping form of the wolf. He still wore his hospital gown, though it had split at the shoulders to allow for the werewolf's added bulk. His chest under the thick, wiry fur went up and down, and Sirius found himself comforted by that breathing.

"We don't necessarily need to tell him all of the details," Snape told the boys smoothly. "Just that he transformed unexpectedly and I easily restrained him."

"That was easy?" Harry asked.

"Of course," Snape replied smoothly. "Barely an effort. Obviously the wolfsbane he had been taking made it much easier on me than it would have been otherwise."

"We understand," Harry nodded. "Right, Sirius?"

"Yep, easy peasy," Sirius answered.

"He's going to be okay now, right?"

"Right," Snape nodded.

And indeed, Snape was right. The morning dawned with the first rays of sun hitting a sleeping Potions master, who had fallen asleep fully clothed and with a book in his hands on a reclining chair by his son's bedside. Madame Pomfrey had at some point tucked him in with a blanket, and he slept soundly with only a slight snore.

Remus woke from the sleep, blinking heavily. He had known he had transformed in the night even before he found the splits on his hospital gown, he just knew. Moving his hands to rub his eyes, he looked down at the manacles he had been wearing. Cursing himself for not taking the Wolfsbane potion the day before, he realized what must have happened. Thank goodness SNape was there.

"Are you better, Remus?" he heard Madame Pomfrey ask him, hurrying to his bedside.

"What happened?" he asked her, still feeling groggy.

"You took a spell meant for Sirius during the fight," she told him, inspecting his eyes and then taking his pulse. "Then you transformed last night and I believe Severus had to restrain you."

"Did I hurt anybody?" he croaked, his heart twisting at the possible answer.

"Of course not, you twit," Snape snapped at him, stretching a bit. "How incompetent of a wizard do you believe me to be?"

Remus breathed a sigh of relief, feeling grateful for his friend. "Thank you, Severus," he whispered, tears welling. "I don't know what I would have done if I'd hurt someone."

"I know," Snape answered seriously. "But you didn't."

"Are the boys okay?"

"Fine," Snape answered firmly. "A few bumps and scratches, but mostly just fine. Harry got a good bump on his head, but he's recovering."

"And the Dark Lord?"

"Disembodied spirit once again," Snape nodded. "And Bella is back at Azkaban, most likely awaiting the Dementor's kiss."

"We have won, then."

"For now," Snape nodded. "I wouldn't put it much past that."


	36. Chapter 36 - Pack

It had been two days since Remus and Sirius returned to their quarters, and still too many things hung between them. Remus had barely spoken beyond barest necessities, and Sirius had followed suit. Sirius, convinced that Remus was angry at him but unsure of how to fix it, remained sullen and sad. What was Remus waiting for? They both knew that he had earned a spanking, and yet by how Remus was acting Remus wondered if the man even wanted to remain his guardian.

That morning at breakfast Remus had excused himself to go and read in his room, and Sirius had decided that he had had enough. He would force Remus to punish him, and then they could resume their relationship. He couldn't stand the punishment hanging over his head like that, and he was tired of waiting until Remus thought he was ready.

Sirius made his way to Remus' desk, and removed the weapon of choice. He gulped a little holding the substantial ruler, imagining quite vividly what that would feel like on his backside. Pushing aside the fear and reluctance, he reminded himself that he did indeed deserve it. Going with Harry hadn't protected him in the least, in had in fact made Harry more vulnerable to Quirrell's plans. And afterwards Remus would absolve him, and he could feel normal again. And maybe connect with Remus again.

When Sirius came to Remus' door, he almost turned away without knocking due to fear. But, shaking himself firmly and reminding himself that he was indeed a Gryffindor, he knocked on the door.

"Come in," he heard Remus call, and he pushed open the door bravely.

"What is it?" Remus asked neutrally, and then spotted the ruler. His eyes flicked back to Sirius' face questioningly. He closed the book, placing it on the cushion beside him on the small sofa. Sirius had his undivided attention.

"I have come to be punished," Sirius told him. "It's cruel to make me wait for it any longer, just get it over with."

"What makes you think I'm going to spank you?" Remus asked him, watching the young boy carefully.

"Well, I deserve it," Sirius answered candidly. "I took off my necklace to follow Harry, and it did him more harm than good. I failed to protect him, he ended up having to protect me by cooperating with Quirrell, it would have been easier if I hadn't been there."

Remus looked at the boy critically. He had to admit that the boy seemed guilty and seemed certain of what to expect, and that puzzled Remus. Surely he didn't think it was his fault that Harry was kidnapped? He had wanted to wait for a while before discussing this with Sirius to try and sort out his own feelings on the matter, and now he saw how that was a mistake. The boy had wanted connection and forgiveness, not time to process.

"I'm going to punish you but not for that reason," Remus told him with a sigh. "You will be punished for removing your necklace and acting in such a foolhardy manner. I do not think it is ever alright to put yourself in that sort of danger, and you did it without a second thought. I was right there, you could have come and gotten me when you realized what happened to Harry. You feel guilty about the other part, but that's not really your fault."

"I shouldn't have gone," Sirius admitted. "I just saw him go and knew I couldn't go if I still had my necklace."

"And for that you deserve a good wallop."

"But if you meant to punish me, why wait until I bring it up?" Sirius asked in a fragile voice.

"Because I was trying to sort out my own feelings," Remus answered. "I know that Snape and you and Harry all assure me that I didn't scare you as the wolf and that Snape had everything easily under control, but I know there's something more. You would not have had to assure me so much if that had been the case."

"But . . ."

"No arguments," Remus held up his hand. "I know the plan was to spare my feelings. I just wanted to say that if you'd rather have another guardian, one who doesn't turn into a homicidal monster once a month, I would understand."

The two eyed each other, each afraid of mutual rejection.

"I want you," Sirius replied stubbornly.

"I can see that," Remus told him, touched. "Merlin knows why."

"Because you're mine," Sirius told him possessively. "You're my pack."

"Alright, over my lap then," Remus told him, watching Sirius squirm a bit in nervousness. "I think you earned ten with the ruler."

Sirius, nodding, gingerly put himself over the man's lap.

Remus hesitated, looking at the bottom of the young boy that was supposed to be his intended target. He didn't think he could do it. But then, he thought about the fear he felt when Sirius had been taken, and the terrible emptiness that threatened to overcome him when he thought that Sirius might not come back. All along in this guardianship, he had suffered the sin of abdication. And here he had done it again.

"I'm sorry I waited," Remus told Sirius. "I should not have made you come to me. I won't do it again."

"Good," Sirius told him. "You know, we could just have mutual apologies and say it's good. I don't actually need my bum smacked . . ."

"You do, you scamp," Remus smirked. "Accio ruler."

The ruler flew to his hand from where Sirius had put it down on the table, and looked at the boy again. He felt the fear again of losing him, but also the overwhelming love he felt for the child. Suddenly every inch of him was precious, and Remus wanted to hug him, not spank him. This was his ward, his son, and the boy he had been prepared to die for just a few days ago. He realized that this is why he had felt such fear - losing Sirius was the worst thing he could imagine. He had bonded with this boy in a way he never had to any other person, and suddenly he understood that in parenting Sirius and trying to give him a different childhood he had radically changed his life as well. No longer was he content to be the separate drifter, the man that people liked but not loved. He had always been afraid to attach and to bond - it was just too hard as a werewolf. And now he was bonded to this impossibly young and vulnerable boy, and it was his job to keep him safe.

Keeping him safe was finally the reason that Remus gripped the ruler and focused on the boy. "Why are you getting a spanking, Sirius?" he asked firmly.

"For acting foolishly and risking my life," Sirius answered, wincing a bit.

"Do you have any plea for mercy?" he asked the miscreant.

"I would love it if you didn't spank me," he answered, squirming. "How 'bout I scrub something instead?"

"Nice try, we both know you earned it," Remus told him. "Ten smacks."

Remus applied the smacks firmly to Sirius' backside, causing the boy to squirm and kick involuntarily. He used firm smacks, knowing that they had to sting a bit, but hoping that Sirius would not risk his life again. Remus couldn't take it.

"You will think before you act," he told Sirius firmly, landing the last smack with a loud crack. "Do we have an understanding?"

"Yes, Dad," Sirius answered, blinking against unfallen tears.

"Do you know what it does to my heart to see you in danger?" Remus asked, helping the boy up from off of his lap. "I can't take it, Sirius."

"I'll do better," Sirius sniffed, and then Remus carefully drew the boy into his arms. Mindful of his sore backside, Remus settled the adolescent on his lap and held him there. Sirius then began to cry, and cry in a way that Remus knew had very little to do with his consequence.

"There, there," Remus told him, patting his hair softly. "You have a lot to cry about, just let it go."

Sirius did, and Remus held the sobbing boy for a long time.

"I was so s-scared," Sirius hiccupped as his sobbing began to subside. "I c-could have gotten Harry k-killed."

"You wanted to help him," Remus soothingly told him. "He knows that."

"W-would you have spanked me if I hadn't come in here today?" he asked, sniffing.

"Yes," Remus answered. "I know we needed to address this issue, but I wasn't sure how to do it right after the wolf threatened your life."

Sirius nodded. "Don't wait next time."

"I won't," Remus promised. "That was thoughtless of me. I'm glad you came to me when waiting upset you."

"It did," Sirius confirmed, sniffing.

"I also wanted to thank you," Remus told the boy. "When we started this I thought of the benefits to you and how you could have a better childhood. I didn't realize what a gift you were giving me."

"Gift?" Sirius asked, incredulous.

"Yes, gift," Remus confirmed. "You gave me the gift of having a family. I have never bonded closely with anyone since James and Lily were killed; I was too afraid of rejection because of the wolf. And I felt so guilty about James being killed, that I couldn't prevent it. But now I get to be a Dad, and I get to be Severus' friend and Harry's uncle. I never would have thought this possible."

"I guess that's what we both wanted," Sirius told him. "I get a Dad, and you get to be one."

"I could not imagine anything better," Remus answered him, taking a deep breath of contentment.

The End

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 _AN: The epilogue will be very Snape and Fiona centric, so if that's not your cup of tea you can end the story here. Even if you're not plotting Fiona's demise, I wanted to warn you that it's going to be pretty fluffy and endearing. You've been warned. A big thank you for everyone who has journeyed this story with me. When I first found fanfiction back in March and posted a story I'd been writing just for my own fun I didn't know it was going to be so much fun. A huge part of the fun is having people interact with me about my work, and enjoy the characters as I interpret them. I might take a week or two off posting to get some new stuff started, but check back in when I start up another story. Thanks!_


	37. Epilogue

_AN: A big thank you to everyone reading this story. You guys are the best. In this chapter Fiona has her own personal Beta named ScottishTeddy, the fastest Beta in the West (or,er, Scotland . . .). A big thank you to the anonymous posters as well, I wish I could thank you by pm. Warning, warm fuzzies ahead. Also, there will be a PG-13 appropriate marital sex scene (non-graphic). I have written many scenes like this in my own private writing, but it is a pretty large departure from my usual fanfic postings. I hope you enjoy. This may seem like an odd way to end the story, but one of the major themes I've tried to show is how much this relationship has changed the parents as much as if not more than the children involved. It's hard to imagine the Snape of canon having a wedding night, let alone connecting like this. Please let me know what you think._

* * *

Snape took a sip of his wine. He did not really like wine, nor was he very thirsty; he needed something to do with his hands. Something that could still his nervousness as he waited for his bride. After they had come to their bridal suite she had pointed at the wine, advising him to have a glass, while she went in the loo and changed out of her dress. Suddenly he panicked - should he change too? What if she expected him to change and he didn't? This was just so awkward and confusing. He took a calming breath, and poured himself another glass.

Instead of changing, Snape mulled over the day. He had never expected to have a wedding day, and so in some ways the day seemed almost unreal to him. But when he stood in a dress kilt with Remus and Harry by his side and watched Fiona walk down the aisle towards him, his heart beat so hard that he thought it was going to burst. Fiona's father had kissed her cheek after walking her down the aisle, and declared to Dumbledore that his wife and he presented their daughter to be married. Though he would eventually do most of the ceremony and the pronouncing, Snape enjoyed having Dumbledore do some parts of the ceremony.

And then, after making some promises that Snape was highly skeptical that anybody could actually keep, he suddenly had his arms full of his bride and was kissing her in front of God and a church full of people.

Because the ceremony was ostensibly a muggle one, the wizards in attendance had done their best to wear muggle-appropriate clothes. Dumbledore of course just wore his robes, but people seemed to accept that he was some sort of vicar that wore strange robes. Molly Weasley had threatened her offspring within an inch of their lives to behave themselves, and Snape counted himself lucky to get off with just a few small fireworks going off during said kiss. They were the same fireworks the boys had set off when Gryffindor had won the house cup just a few weeks previous, so they didn't worry Snape in the slightest. He didn't really notice anyway, his eyes had been for Fiona only.

And now, after an evening of dancing and feasting, it was down to just the two of them in this room. Alone. They had been so careful to remain respectable and beyond reproach during their courtship, and now it seemed so strange to be alone with her. He felt faint when he thought about what they would soon be doing together. Snape wondered, not for the first time, if she would have agreed to slightly less respectability if he had asked; but he could never bring himself to ask it of her. So here they were, waiting to commence their marriage. Snape drained the second glass of wine.

Snape gave a startled yelp when Fiona exited the bathroom, wearing nothing but a shiny, light blue nightgown. It dipped a bit low in front but fell to nearly her ankles, and he found himself wanting to touch the soft fabric. With a blush, he realized he was going to be able to do so.

"Pour me a glass?" Fiona asked quietly, and Snape rushed to comply. "My father said this wine was quite good."

"I'm surprised he approves," Snape told her, handing her a glass of the richly colored liquid. "I thought men of the cloth didn't drink."

"All things 'n moderation," she smiled, dimpling. "He said it might help t' relax."

"Are you feeling relaxed?" he asked her, quirking an eyebrow.

"What do you think?" she laughed nervously. "A man is aboot tae see me bare as an egg for the first time. I'm terrified!"

"I don't think you have much to worry about," Snape answered, his eyes travelling appreciatively over her satin-covered curves.

She giggled, taking a drink of the wine. "Yer lad looked very nice in 'is kilt," she told him. "Wis 'e difficult tae convince t' wear it?"

"A bit," Snape admitted. "But when he realized that I was going to wear it, then he became more amenable. Sirius was excited to wear it, though he was put out not to be a groomsman, just an usher. I must admit, it was a bit odd to wear."

"Thank ye," she nodded, sipping her wine again. "I ken that it is nae yer tradition, but then again it widna dae fir us tae be wearing our robes, wid it?"

"As long as I didn't look too foolish," he admitted, fingering the edges of his kilt. He had worn it to please her, telling himself it was only a bit shorter than a robe, after all. But he found wearing it to actually be very different than robes after all. He felt lanky and unpoised in the kilt, and was afraid that his exposed knees looked nobby.

"Ye dinne look foolish," she told him, looking over her glass at him. "Ye look verra handsome."

Snape blushed at the compliment, and looked away. He was surprised how much it pleased him that his bride would find him handsome. He had always wanted to be valued for other things - his intelligence, cunning, and dry wit. But it made him blush that she found him handsome. And the wine made his stomach feel warm and comfortable, and hushed the small voice inside that told him that his nose was too beak-like and his hair too lank to be considered handsome.

"I ken whit we're gonnae dae tonight," she told him softly. "And I ken that neither of us have done it afore. 'Tis normal to be nervous, I think."

"I should think," Snape agreed.

"Maybe we could just hold each other a bit?" she asked nervously.

Snape, wordlessly, pulled her gently into his arms. He was seated and she was standing, so he had the odd sensation of bending his face up to kiss her. Giggling, she returned the kiss, and pressed her softness against him.

Suddenly, her stomach grumbled loudly, and she broke off the kiss. "I'm so sorry!" she blathered, flushing bright red.

"You didn't eat much at dinner," Snape told her softly. Summoning a small food box from across the room, he handed it to her. "I noticed you weren't eating much, and I assumed it was from all the excitement and nerves. So I had them pack you a to go box, and put stasis charms on it. It should still be warm."

"That was incredibly thoughtful," she told him, accepting the box with shining eyes.

"I figured this evening would be more fun for you if you weren't hungry."

"It will be," she confirmed. "Ye dinne mind, me eating now?"

"I believe we will have sufficient time for whatever we want after you eat," he told her with a nod. "Go ahead."

Fiona quickly ate the food he had saved for her, and then finished her wine. She was feeling warm and content, and not a little because her new husband had been so thoughtful. She gazed at him softly.

"Better?" he asked softly.

"Much," she answered.

"Molly Weasley told me that she didn't eat a bite at her wedding and then went to her bridal chambers hungry enough to eat the sheets, so I decided I would make sure the same fate didn't befall you."

"How did I get so lucky tae wed such a thoughtful man?"

"Well, it is in my best interest to have you not distracted," Snape told her, his eyes glinting. "I believe this might take a bit of concentration."

"Concentration?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yes," he answered, his voice husky and deep. She watched as his fingers expertly unbuckled his belt, freeing himself from his kilt. He then removed his shirt, leaving his lean chest exposed to the candlelight. He advanced on her slowly, their eyes locked together. "I would like to have your undivided attention."

"You have it," she breathed.

"Come to bed with me," he invited, his voice thick with desire. "Let's figure out this next step together."

She hurried to respond to his invitation, and soon Snape found his hands caressing soft blue satin while their mouths locked together. Then his hand slipped below the soft blue satin and began caressing soft ivory skin.

"So beautiful," he whispered as his kisses trailed down her neck.

Fiona cried out as his long, elegant fingers found parts of her that were quite sensitive to touch. She rolled on her back, welcoming him closer.

"Fiona . . ." he said, his voice cracking from restraint. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Don't stop now," she told him breathlessly, pulling him close.

Snape didn't.

. . .

A few minutes later, they lay together, their breaths beginning to calm. Snape, trying to ground himself in reality again after the completely unexpected level of ecstasy he had experienced, turned to his wife.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked softly.

"A bit," she admitted, crinkling her brow in thought. "But it felt really good up until that last bit."

"For me that was a revelation," Snape admitted quietly. "I had never understood what all the fuss was about."

Fiona laughed softly. "I hear it's only meant tae hurt me the first time."

Snape echoed the soft laugh. "Give me a few minutes, and maybe we can try again."

"How did ye know what tae dae?" she asked him suddenly. "You seemed to know exactly what my body would feel."

"I read a few books," Snape admitted. "If you must have a bridegroom as inexperienced as I am, the least I could do was to brush up as much as possible about the subject."

"Yer inexperience is actually pretty attractive to me," Fiona answered him, propping up her head and meeting his steady gaze. "I never pictured myself as some romance novel lass waiting for the big bad conqueror with many notches on his headboard tae come and take her virginity. I would much rather we did like ye said - we figured it out together."

"I'm glad to hear that," he nodded at her.

"However, those are some good books," she told him with a smile.

"They have several different techniques described," Snape told her, his smile crooked. "Ways to help you enjoy it as much as I."

"Sounds intriguing," she told him, purposely letting the blanket fall to her waist. "What techniques would those be?"

"May I demonstrate, Madam?" he asked, his voice pitching deeper again.

"You may," she answered, welcoming him back into her arms.


End file.
